The present tense (abbreviated PRES or PRS) is a grammatical tense whose principal function is to locate a situation or event in the present time.[1] The present tense is used for actions which are happening now. In order to explain and understand present tense, it is useful to imagine time as a line on which the past tense, the present and the future tense are positioned. The term present tense is usually used in descriptions of specific languages to refer to a particular grammatical form or set of forms; these may he a variety of uses, not all of which will necessarily refer to present time. For example, in the English sentence "My train lees tomorrow morning", the verb form lees is said to be in the present tense, even though in this particular context it refers to an event in future time. Similarly, in the historical present, the present tense is used to narrate events that occurred in the past.
There are two common types of present tense form in most Indo-European languages: the present indicative (the combination of present tense and indicative mood) and the present subjunctive (the combination of present tense and subjunctive mood). In English, the present tense is mainly classified into four parts or subtenses.
Present simple: The present simple tense is used to talk about states (knowledge, understanding, etc.), or to focus on the frequency of events or actions (e.g. They never bathe.). Present perfect: The present perfect tense is utilized for events or states that began in the past and which continue to the moment of speaking. It is often used to express results.[2] Present continuous: The present continuous tense is used to describe an action or event which is not yet completed. Present perfect continuous: The present perfect continuous tense is used for actions or events that began in the past and continue (or recur) up to the present. Use[edit]The present indicative of most verbs in modern English has the same form as the infinitive, except for the third-person singular form, which takes the ending -[e]s. The verb be has the forms am, is, are. For details, see English verbs. For the present subjunctive, see English subjunctive.
A number of multi-word constructions exist to express the combinations of present tense with the basic form of the present tense is called the present simple; there are also constructions known as the present progressive (or present continuous) (e.g. am writing), the present perfect (e.g. he written), and the present perfect progressive (e.g. he been writing).
Use of the present tense does not always imply the present time. In particular, the present tense is often used to refer to future events (I am seeing James tomorrow; My train lees at 3 o'clock this afternoon). This is particularly the case in condition clauses and many other adverbial subordinate clauses: If you see him,...; As soon as they arrive... There is also the historical present, in which the present tense is used to narrate past events.
For details of the uses of present tense constructions in English, see Uses of English verb forms.
Hellenic languages[edit] Modern Greek present indicative tense[edit]In Modern Greek, the present tense is used in a similar way to the present tense in English and can represent the present continuous as well. As with some other conjugations in Greek, some verbs in the present tense accept different (but equivalent) forms of use for the same person. What follows are examples of present tense conjugation in Greek for the verbs βλέπω (see), τρώω (eat) and αγαπώ (love).
βλέπω τρώω, τρώγω αγαπώ, αγαπάω εγώ I βλέπω τρώω, τρώγω αγαπώ, αγαπάω εσύ thou βλέπεις τρως, τρώεις αγαπάς αυτός/αυτή/αυτό he/she/it βλέπει τρώει, τρώγει αγαπά(ει) εμείς we βλέπουμε τρώμε, τρώγομε, τρώγουμε αγαπάμε, αγαπούμε εσείς you (pl.) βλέπετε τρώτε, τρώγετε αγαπάτε αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά they βλέπουν(ε) τρών(ε), τρώγουν(ε) αγαπούν(ε), αγαπάν(ε) Romance languages[edit]The Romance languages are derived from Latin, and in particular western Vulgar Latin. As a result, their usages and forms are similar.
Latin present indicative tense[edit]The Latin present tense can be translated as progressive or present simple. Here are examples of the present indicative tense conjugation in Latin.
plicāre debēre dicere cupere scīre conjugation 1st 2nd 3rd 3rd 4th 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 French present indicative tense[edit]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 partentThe present indicative is commonly used to express the present continuous. For example, Jean mange may be translated as John eats, John is eating. To emphasise the present continuous, expressions such as "en train 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.
Italian present indicative tense[edit]In Italian, the present tense is used similarly to that of English. What follows is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Italian.
parlare vedere sentire io parlo vedo sento tu parli vedi senti egli/ella parla vede sente noi parliamo vediamo sentiamo voi parlate vedete sentite essi/esse parlano vedono sentono Portuguese and Spanish present indicative tense[edit]The present tenses of Portuguese and Spanish are similar in form, and are used in similar ways. What follows are examples of the present indicative conjugation in Portuguese.
Pronoun falar comer insistir ter ser eu falo como insisto tenho sou tu falas comes insistes tens és ele/ela/você fala come insiste tem é nós falamos comemos insistimos temos somos vós falais comeis insistis tendes sois eles/elas/vocês falam comem insistem têm sãoThere follow examples of the corresponding conjugation in Spanish.
Pronoun hablar comer insistir tener ser yo hablo como insisto tengo soy tú hablas comes insistes tienes eres él/ella/usted habla come insiste tiene es nosotros hablamos comemos insistimos tenemos somos vosotros habláis coméis insistís tenéis sois ellos/ellas/ustedes hablan comen insisten tienen son Slic languages[edit] Bulgarian present indicative tense[edit]In Bulgarian, the present indicative tense of imperfective verbs is used in a very similar way to the present indicative in English. It can also be used as present progressive. Below is an example of present indicative tense conjugation in Bulgarian.
писати*pisati говорити*govoriti искати*iskati отваряти*otvarjati азaz пишаpiša говоряgovorja искам iskam отварямotvarjam тиti пишешpišeš говоришgovoriš искашiskaš отваряшotvarjaš той, тя, тоtoj, tja, to пишеpiše говориgovori искаiska отваряotvarja ниеnie пишемpišem говоримgovorim искамеiskame отварямеotvarjame виеvie пишетеpišete говоритеgovorite искатеiskate отварятеotvarjate теte пишатpišat говорятgovorjat искатiskat отварятotvarjat*Archaic, no infinitive in the modern language.
Macedonian present tense[edit]The present tense in Macedonian is expressed using imperfective verbs. The following table shows the conjugation of the verbs write (пишува/pišuva), speak (зборува/zboruva), want (сака/saka) and open (отвaра/otvara).
пишува
pišuva
пишува
pišuva
write
зборува
zboruva
зборува
zboruva
speak
сака
saka
сака
saka
want
отвaрa
otvara
отвaрa
otvara
open
јас
jas
1SG
јас
jas
1SG
пишувам
pišuvam
пишувам
pišuvam
зборувам
zboruvam
зборувам
zboruvam
сакам
sakam
сакам
sakam
отвaрам
otvaram
отвaрам
otvaram
ти
ti
2SG
ти
ti
2SG
пишуваш
pišuvaš
пишуваш
pišuvaš
зборуваш
zboruvaš
зборуваш
zboruvaš
сакаш
sakaš
сакаш
sakaš
отвaраш
otvaraš
отвaраш
otvaraš
тој,
toj,
3SG.M
таа,
taa,
3SG.F
тоа
toa
3SG.N
тој, таа, тоа
toj, taa, toa
3SG.M 3SG.F 3SG.N
пишува
pišuva
пишува
pišuva
зборува
zboruva
зборува
zboruva
сака
saka
сака
saka
отвaра
otvara
отвaра
otvara
ние
nie
1PL
ние
nie
1PL
пишуваме
pišuvame
пишуваме
pišuvame
зборуваме
zboruvame
зборуваме
zboruvame
сакаме
sakame
сакаме
sakame
отвaраме
otvarame
отвaраме
otvarame
вие
vie
2PL
вие
vie
2PL
пишувате
pišuvate
пишувате
pišuvate
зборувате
zboruvate
зборувате
zboruvate
сакате
sakate
сакате
sakate
отвaрате
otvarate
отвaрате
otvarate
тие
tie
3PL
тие
tie
3PL
пишуваат
pišuvaat
пишуваат
pišuvaat
зборуваат
zboruvaat
зборуваат
zboruvaat
сакаат
sakaat
сакаат
sakaat
отвaраат
otvaraat
отвaраат
otvaraat
Sinitic languages[edit]In Wu Chinese, unlike other Sinitic languages (Varieties of Chinese), some tenses can be marked, including the present tense. For instance, in Suzhounese and Old Shanghainese, the word 哉 is used. The particle is placed at the end of a clause, and when a tense is referenced, the word order switches to SOV.[3]
In a sentence such as "落雨了", it would be the perfective aspect in Standard Mandarin, whereas this would be analysed as the present tense in contemporary Shanghainese, where 哉 has undergone lenition to 了.
See also[edit] Grammatical aspect Tense–aspect–mood Tense confusion References[edit] ^ Comrie, Bernard (1985). Tense. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23652-5. ^ Chalker, Sylvia; Weiner, Edmund; Weiner, Edmund S. C. (1998). The Oxford dictionary of English grammar. Oxford paperback reference (Reissued, with corr., in new covers ed.). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280087-9. ^ Qian, Nairong (錢乃榮) (2010). 《從〈滬語便商〉所見的老上海話時態》 (Tenses and Aspects? Old Shanghainese as Found in the Book Huyu Bian Shang). Shanghai: The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. vteGrammatical tenses Future Crastinal Going-to Near Nonfuture Nonpast Nonpresent Present Hodiernal Past Hesternal Present perfect Pluperfect Future perfect Future in the past / Future perfect in the past Fake Relative and absolute Periodic tense vteNarrativeCharacter Antagonist Archenemy Character arc Character flaw Characterization Confidant Deuteragonist False protagonist Focal character Foil Gothic double Hamartia Hero Anti Byronic Tragic Narrator Protagonist Stock character Straight man Supporting character Title character Tritagonist Villain Plot Ab ovo Action Backstory Origin story Chekhov's gun Cliché Cliffhanger Conflict Deus ex machina Dialogue Dramatic structure Eucatastrophe Foreshadowing Flashback Flashforward Frame story In medias res Kishōtenketsu MacGuffin Pace Plot device Plot twist Poetic justice Red herring Reveal Self-insertion Shaggy dog story Stereotype Story arc Story within a story Subplot Suspense Trope Setting Alternate history Backstory Crossover Dreamworld Dystopia Fictional location city country universe parallel Fictional species Utopia Worldbuilding Theme Irony Leitmotif Metaphor Moral Moral development Motif Deal with the Devil Conflict between good and evil Self-fulfilling prophecy Time trel Style Allegory Bathos Comic relief Diction Figure of speech Imagery Mode Mood Narration Narrative techniques Hook Show, don't tell Stylistic device Suspension of disbelief Symbolism Tone Structure Act Act structure Three-act structure Freytag's Pyramid Exposition/Protasis Rising action/Epitasis Climax/Peripeteia Falling action/Catastasis Catastrophe Denouement Linear narrative Nonlinear narrative films television series Premise Types of fiction with multiple endings Form Drama Fabliau Flash fiction Folklore Fable Fairy tale Legend Myth Tall tale Gamebook Narrative art Narrative poetry Epic poetry Novel Novella Parable Short story Vignette Genre(List) Fiction Action fiction Adventure Comic Crime Docu Epistolary Ergodic Erotic Historical Western Mystery Nautical Paranoid Philosophical Picaresque Political Pop culture Psychological Religious Rogue Romance Chivalric Prose Saga Satire Speculative fiction Fantasy Gothic Southern Horror Magic realism Science Hard Utopian and dystopian Underwater Superhero Theological Thriller Urban Nonfiction Autobiography Biography Novel Creative Narration Diegesis First-person Second-person Third-person Third-person omniscient narrative Subjectivity Unreliable narrator Multiple narrators Stream of consciousness Stream of unconsciousness Tense Past Present Future Related Dominant narrative Fiction writing Continuity Canon Reboot Retcon Parallel novel Prequel / Sequel Series Genre List Literary science Literary theory Narrative identity Narrative paradigm Narrative therapy Narratology Metafiction Political narrative Rhetoric Glossary Screenwriting Series of works Storytelling Tellability Verisimilitude Authority control databases InternationalGNDNationalUnited StatesCzech RepublicIsraelOtherYale LUX