I would like to know the difference between we have proceeded to study something and we proceeded to study something knowing that this action was already finished in last time.
Which one is correct and would be written in scientific article ?
Learn English – The difference between we proceeded and we have proceeded to
grammaticalitymeaningword-usage
Best Answer
Both are correct. One refers to a past action. The other refers to an action as if it had just now been completed. Both are possible.
When describing a step-by-step process as if it were happening in real time, as a guide to instruct someone who will be attempting to repeat the procedure, we can use the present perfect and the present:
That is, we add the vanilla after we have blended the eggs with the milk. (You are saying, in effect, that is how it is done and you should do the same when following this recipe. )
But if you wish to describe what you did, as a simple record of what happened, you would use the simple past and past perfect:
That is, we added the vanilla after we had blended the eggs with the milk.
So, you need to decide whether you wish to present a simple record of what you did or actively instruct others how to repeat the steps you took. In scientific papers, a simple record is the usual choice, I believe.