Research papers are a core genre in many academic contexts. Yet many English for Academic Purposes (EAP) foundation programs do not teach students how to write them. Hypothesis testing is an integral component of quantitative research paper writing. However, it is often misunderstood. An understanding of a few key statistical assumptions, concepts and tools is essential to empirical enquiry as it constitutes a significant hurdle for many novice investigators. This paper will argue that a metaphor-based approach to teaching research paper writing is particularly effective and it shall propose a ‘hypothesis testing as courtroom trial’ metaphor for helping students grasp the underlying concepts behind hypothesis-testing. It will feature some sections of a specimen research paper to show how this model may work in the classroom.