Tenses
Using the correct tense in your academic writing seems simple but there are a few aspects that can trip you up.
The most prominent of these is when you are talking about a theorist or quoting someone for their ideas on the topic. If the speaker is now deceased, you need to use the past tense when you write about them e.g.
Catherine Belsey was a prominent theorist of poststructuralism.
You will also need to say phrases such as “they believed…” and if quoting them directly the past tense “said” must be used rather than “says”.
If you are talking about your own ideas and beliefs on the topic you can write in the present tense. This is the same for if you are discussing a theorist/ academic/ other individual who is still alive. You can, however, still use the past tense if you are quoting something that they have said previously.