The verb tense expressing action in the present time, as in She writes; she is writing.
Dictionary:
pres·ent tense (prĕz'ənt) ![]() |
The verb tense expressing action in the present time, as in She writes; she is writing.
| WordNet: present tense |
The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
a verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of speaking
Synonym: present
| Wikipedia: Present tense |
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The present tense is the tense (that is, the form of the verb) that may be used to express:
There are two common types of present tenses to be found in most Indo-European languages: the present indicative (i.e., the combination of present tense and indicative mood) and the present subjunctive (i.e., the combination of present tense and subjunctive mood).
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English, like other Germanic languages, has two tenses, past and non-past. These tenses have several nb . The present tense aspects comprise:
We use the present simple for thoughts and feelings. (Ex. I think so, I like it.)
In the present simple, we use the verb without an ending. (Ex. I get the lunch ready at one o'clock, usually.) In the third person singular, (after he, she, it, your friend and etc.,) however, the verb ends in -s or -es. (Ex. It gets busy on the weekends. Sarah catches the early train.)
The present simple tense is very often used with adverbs of repeated time. Look at these examples (the adverbs are shown in bold):
When we want to state a fact or ask a question without any time reference, we use the present simple tense.
Statements about rules of nature and the way the world is are in the present simple tense.
The conjugation of the present indicative tense in regular verbs is as follows:
| &Nb; | to walk |
|---|---|
| I | walk |
| you | walk |
| he/she/it | walks |
| we | walk |
| they | walk |
In German, the present tense is used in a rather different fashion from English. The present tense is a simple construction. There is no close equivalent to the English present continuous.
Here is an example of present tense conjugation in German:
| gehen | sprechen | finden | laufen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | gehe | spreche | finde | laufe |
| du | gehst | sprichst | findest | läufst |
| er/sie/es | geht | spricht | findet | läuft |
| wir | gehen | sprechen | finden | laufen |
| ihr | geht | sprecht | findet | lauft |
| sie | gehen | sprechen | finden | laufen |
The Romance languages are derived from Latin, and in particular western Vulgate Latin. As a result, their usages and forms are similar.
In Latin, the present tense can be translated as being progressive or simple. Below is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Latin.
| plicāre | debēre | dicere | cupere | scīre | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ego | plicō | debeō | dīcō | cupiō | sciō |
| Tu | plicās | debēs | dīcis | cupis | scīs |
| Is, Ea, Id | plicat | debet | dicit | cupit | scit |
| Nos | plicāmus | debēmus | dīcimus | cupimus | scīmus |
| Vos | plicātis | debētis | dīcitis | cupitis | scītis |
| Ei, Eae, Ea | plicant | debent | dīcunt | cupiunt | sciunt |
In French, the present tense is used similarly to that of English. Below is an example of present tense conjugation in French.
| parler | perdre | finir | partir | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | parle | perds | finis | pars |
| tu | parles | perds | finis | pars |
| il/elle/on | parle | perd | finit | part |
| nous | parlons | perdons | finissons | partons |
| vous | parlez | perdez | finissez | partez |
| ils/elles | parlent | perdent | finissent | partent |
To express (and emphasise) the present continuous, expressions such as "en train de" or "en cours de" may be used. For example, Jean est en train de manger, may be translated as John is eating, John is in the middle of eating. On est en train de chercher un nouvel appartement may be translated as We are looking for a new apartment, we are in the process of finding a new apartment.
In Italian, the present tense is used almost identically to that of English. What follows is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Italian.
| guardare | credere | partire | finire | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| io | guardo | credo | parto | finisco |
| tu | guardi | credi | parti | finisci |
| lui/lei/egli/ella | guarda | crede | parte | finisce |
| noi | guardiamo | crediamo | partiamo | finiamo |
| voi | guardate | credete | partite | finite |
| loro | guardano | credono | partono | finiscono |
In Portuguese regular verbs, the present tense is conjugated according to the model below:
| acabar | comer | partir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | acabo | como | parto |
| tu/você | acabas | comes | partes |
| ele/ela | acaba | come | parte |
| nós | acabamos | comemos | partimos |
| vós | acabais | comeis | partis |
| eles/elas/vocês | acabam | comem | partem |
In Portuguese, one sometimes uses the present tense where in English one would use the present continuous. The present tense is used with a future sense more often than in English.
In Spanish, the present tense is used similarly to that of English. What follows is an example of present tense conjugation in Spanish.
| hablar | comer | insistir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | como | insisto |
| tú | hablas | comes | insistes |
| vos | hablás | comés | insistís |
| él / ella / usted | habla | come | insiste |
| nosotros | hablamos | comemos | insistimos |
| vosotros | habláis | coméis | insistís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablan | comen | insisten |
In Bulgarian, the present indicative tense of imperfective verbs is used very similarly to that of English. It can also be used as present progressive. Below is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Bulgarian.
| писати* | говорити* | искати* | отваряти* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| аз | пиша | говоря | искам | отварям |
| ти | пишеш | говориш | искаш | отваряш |
| той, тя, то | пише | говори | иска | отваря |
| ние | пишем | говорим | искаме | отваряме |
| вие | пишете | говорите | искате | отваряте |
| те | пишат | говорят | искат | отварят |
*Archaic, no infinitive in the modern language.
In Finnish, the pronouns have their own ending in the verb. These verbs may be used by themselves, without the pronoun (except he/she=hän).
| olla | laskea | antaa | katsoa | vapista | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| minä | olen | lasken | annan | katson | vapisen |
| sinä | olet | lasket | annat | katsot | vapiset |
| hän, se | on | laskee | antaa | katsoo | vapisee |
| me | olemme | laskemme | annamme | katsomme | vapisemme |
| te | olette | laskette | annatte | katsotte | vapisette |
| he, ne | ovat | laskevat | antavat | katsovat | vapisevat |
In the Turkish language, the pronouns have their own ending according to vowel harmony. Present tense suffex is "r".
| ending | kal-mak | sev-mek | bul-mak | gör-mek | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | ım/im/um/üm | kalırım | severim | bulurum | görürüm |
| Sen | sın/sin/sun/sün | kalırsın | seversin | bulursun | görürsün |
| O | kalır | sever | bulur | görür | |
| Biz | ız/iz/uz/üz | kalırız | severiz | buluruz | görürüz |
| Siz | sınız/siniz/sunuz/sünüz | kalırsınız | seversiniz | bulursunuz | görürsünüz |
| Onlar | lar/ler | kalırlar | severler | bulurlar | görürler |
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![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
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