What It Targets
- Verb Tense Questions
- Simple Present vs. Present Perfect
- Academic and Scientific Writing
- Evidence-Based Statements
The Core Idea
Many SAT verb tense questions are really asking:
Is this happening now, or is this something that has happened over time?
The answer determines which tense you need.
The two most commonly confused choices are:
- Simple Present
- Present Perfect
The Rule
Simple Present
Use when something is:
- true now
- generally true
- currently supported by evidence
- a fact, conclusion, or observation
Examples:
- The data indicate...
- The records suggest...
- The evidence shows...
- Researchers conclude...
Present Perfect
Use when something:
- started in the past
- happened repeatedly
- continues to matter now
Examples:
- Researchers have suggested...
- Scientists have observed...
- Historians have argued...
- Studies have shown...
The Shortcut
Ask yourself:
Is the subject the evidence itself?
Examples:
- data
- evidence
- records
- results
- findings
- observations
Usually use:
Simple Present
Examples:
- The data indicate...
- The evidence suggests...
- The findings reveal...
Is the subject a group of people or studies?
Examples:
- researchers
- historians
- scientists
- studies
- investigations
Usually use:
Present Perfect
Examples:
- Researchers have suggested...
- Historians have argued...
- Studies have shown...
This often signals work that has accumulated over time.
How Do I Know This Is a Timeline Question?
Look for answer choices like:
(A) suggest
(B) suggested
(C) have suggested
(D) suggesting
or
(A) reveal
(B) revealed
(C) have revealed
(D) revealing
Whenever multiple choices differ only in tense, stop and ask:
What timeline is the sentence describing?
Guided Practice
Question 1
Excavation records recovered from multiple Roman trading settlements __________ direct contact between merchants operating in the Mediterranean and those working along portions of the Silk Road.
(A) suggest
(B) suggested
(C) have suggested
(D) suggesting
Correct Answer: (A)
The Trick
What is the subject?
excavation records
The records themselves are the evidence.
Evidence usually uses simple present.
Why It Works
The sentence means:
The records currently indicate direct contact.
Not:
The records have been suggesting things over time.
Question 2
Over the last three decades, numerous studies examining coral reef ecosystems __________ that biodiversity plays a critical role in reef resilience.
(A) suggest
(B) suggested
(C) have suggested
(D) suggesting
Correct Answer: (C)
The Trick
Look for the timeline clue:
Over the last three decades
This tells us the action occurred repeatedly across time.
Why It Works
Many studies have accumulated evidence.
Present perfect matches that timeline.
Drill
Choose the verb tense that best fits the timeline.
1
The evidence collected from ice cores extracted in Greenland __________ that atmospheric carbon levels fluctuated significantly during earlier climatic periods.
(A) suggests
(B) suggested
(C) have suggested
(D) suggesting
2
For more than fifty years, researchers investigating migratory bird populations __________ that habitat loss affects migration routes.
(A) have argued
(B) argue
(C) argued
(D) arguing
3
The findings from the survey __________ a strong relationship between sleep quality and academic performance.
(A) have indicated
(B) indicate
(C) indicated
(D) indicating
4
Since the early 1990s, economists studying international trade patterns __________ several explanations for the rapid growth of emerging markets.
(A) suggest
(B) suggested
(C) have suggested
(D) suggesting
5
The archaeological evidence uncovered at the site __________ that the settlement was occupied centuries earlier than previously believed.
(A) have shown
(B) shows
(C) showed
(D) showing
Answer Key
1
(A) suggests
Subject = evidence
Evidence itself points to a conclusion.
2
(A) have argued
Timeline clue:
For more than fifty years
Action has occurred across time.
3
(B) indicate
Subject = findings
The findings themselves currently support the conclusion.
4
(C) have suggested
Timeline clue:
Since the early 1990s
Ongoing work across time.
5
(B) shows
Subject = evidence
Evidence itself points to a conclusion.