COMPUTER SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Elements of Technical Writing
2005-2006

  • In most other writing, use the present tense.
    1. Hypothesis, principles, theories, facts, and other general truths are expressed in the present tense.
    2. Avoid using the conditional could or would and invoking the future tese needlessly, because these uses add an unnecessary sense of indefiniteness to a definite statement.
        Conditional version:
          The changing about of one amino acid in the chain could make an entirely different protein.
      
        Non-conditional:
          The changing about of one amino acid in the chain make an entirely different protein.
      
        Conditional:
          Crystals would form fusion if the temperature or pressure was high.
      
        Non-conditional:
          Crystals form from fusion at a high termperature or high pressure.