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I certify the information I am submitting in this application package is true to the best of my knowledge and understand that false information will constitute in having my application rejected without opportunity for appeal.

From a scholarship application form https://lincolncentershops.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018-19-Scholarship-Application.pdf

Why is the present continuous tense used here (I am submitting)? What is the difference between #1,#2,and #3?

  1. I certify the information I have submitted in this application package is true.

  2. I certify the information I submitted in this application package is true.

  3. I certify the information I am submitting in this application package is true.

luxury20041985
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  • duplicate: https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/6372/when-is-the-past-perfect-exactly-needed There are many other answers that also fit here too. – Lambie Aug 09 '19 at 13:52
  • The answer linked in the comment by @Lambie does not seem to deal with the situation in this question at all. I do not think that answer would help a person asking this question. There may be other answers that would, but this should not be closed on the basis of that answer. – David Siegel Aug 09 '19 at 15:22
  • @DavidSiegel There are tons of answers on this forum that answers the simple past, present, past perfect thing. Anyway, I see no reason to ask for all three when two are obvious. – Lambie Aug 09 '19 at 15:29
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    I think this is effectively Proofreading. For an easy life, just discard the highlighted words completely (they add nothing of substance to the meaning). – FumbleFingers Aug 09 '19 at 15:51
  • @FumbleFingers agreed. Just use "...the information in this application..." – Davo Aug 09 '19 at 16:20
  • @Davo: Verb tense is a slippery thing in "self-actuating speech acts" (which unquestionably applies to *certify* in OP's context, and arguably also to *submit). Logically, it doesn't seem to make sense to refer to an already-completed action using a future tense, as in I know he's dumb - but he's loyal, I will say that for him.* The thing is that native speakers never have to bother learning why we use that peculiar mix of tenses - we just know that's how we phrase something like that, and we don't normally think there's even anything to "explain, rationalise"). – FumbleFingers Aug 09 '19 at 16:46
  • @FumbleFinger The application may well contain information provided (submitted) by the applicant, information provided by third parties, and information provided by the institution itself (boilerplate). Legally, the applicant only certifies the accuracy of information that s/he has submitted. That technical distinction (rarely of importance, but it can be in some few cases) is the reason for "information I have submitted" in whatever tense it may be expressed. – David Siegel Aug 09 '19 at 22:06
  • @Davo see my comment above. – David Siegel Aug 09 '19 at 22:07

1 Answers1

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Your case 1 "I have submitted" indicates that the act of submission occurred at some unspecified time in the past.

Case 2 "I submitted" indicates that the act of submitting the information is complete -- in this case, completed shortly before the person signs. I have not been able to think of a context in which the meanings of cases 1 and 2 would be meaningfully different, using this construction.

Case 3 "I am submitting" says that the submission is in the process of happening. In this case I would interpret it as saying that the act of signing the form is also that act of submitting the information, or perhaps the act of transmitting the signed form is the act of submitting the information. This is technically different, but the difference has no practical effect in this instance.

In general the past perfect deals with actions already completed, and normally with actions completed before some other past action. Here there is no other action to compare with. However (case 1) is actually the present perfect, which is used either for actions started in the past and continuing to the present, or for actions performed at an indefinite time in the past. Here the indefinite time would seem to be meant. The simple past (case 2) deals with action at some time in the past. It does not specify time relative to another action, but is normally used or completed actions. Most things expressed with the past perfect can also be expressed with the simple past, perhaps losing some nuance and any indication of relative timing of events. The present continuous tense (case 3) deals with actions in progress.

by the way "will constitute in having my application rejected" is ungrammatical. I suspect that "will result in" is intended.

David Siegel
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  • submitted is not some unspecified time in the past, that is have submitted. – Lambie Aug 09 '19 at 15:50
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    @Lambie, If one writes "I submitted this information" just when is the writer saying the act occurred, if not in the unspecified past? – David Siegel Aug 09 '19 at 16:07
  • With all due respect, one does not know specifically but the basic difference is that one is in the past in terms of the present (PF) and the other is a finished act (SP). That is one of the basic differences between the simple past and the past perfect. The simple past always implies a finished action/act/thing even if the day or date is not given. It's often a matter of emphasis. The PF emphasizes the action of the verb, very often and its relationship to the present time, and the simple past emphasizes what is done or finished or over. – Lambie Aug 09 '19 at 16:11
  • Thank you, @Lambie. I made a significant error here, which i believe I have now corrected. – David Siegel Aug 09 '19 at 22:01