1.2.2 Key In Sentence 1 Biomass-derived polylactide (PLA) has received much attention in recent years due to its biodegradable1 and biocompatible2 properties. The writer establishes the importance of this research topic. If you wrote the writer introduces the study for Sentence 1, that won’t help when you come to write your own research paper, because it doesn’t tell you how to ‘introduce’ the study. You may have started previous Introductions by describing the specific problem you are trying to solve, or the method you plan to use, but when you look at published work in your field, you will see that this is not how most research papers begin, and therefore it may not be the best way for you to begin. Many research articles begin by establishing how or why the topic is useful or important, so in your target articles, you will often find something in the first sentence like much study in recent years, a major role, or widely-used. What verb tense should I use in the first sentence? Phrases that refer to recent time like in recent years or in the past five years are normally followed by the Present Perfect tense (Much study in recent years has focused on…/The status and function of the port has evolved rapidly over the past three years.). If you are focusing on the current situation, it is common to use the Present Simple tense (There are substantial benefits to be gained from…). It’s worth noting, however, that what is recent or current now will not be recent or current in five years’ time, so if you are hoping that your research article will still be relevant five years from now, consider using an identifiable date, e.g. since 2018