Present tense

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 in a time 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 have a variety of uses, not all of which will necessarily refer to present time. For example, in the English sentence "My train leaves tomorrow morning", the verb form leaves 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). The present tense is mainly classified into four parts:

  1. Simple Present
  2. Present Perfect
  3. Present Continuous
  4. Present Perfect Continuous

English[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 combinations of present tense with aspect. The basic form of the present tense is called the simple present; there are also constructions known as the present progressive (or present continuous) (e.g. am writing), the present perfect (e.g. have written), and the present perfect progressive (e.g. have been writing).

Use of the present tense does not always imply present time. In particular, the present tense is often used to refer to future events (I am seeing James tomorrow; My train leaves 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 simple present. 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 partent

The 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" 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. Le fichier est en cours de traitement may be translated as The file is currently being processed.

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.

  falar comer insistir
eu falo como insisto
tu falas comes insistes
ele/ela/você fala come insiste
nós falamos comemos insistimos
vós falais comeis insistis
eles/elas falam comem insistem

There follow examples of the corresponding conjugation in Spanish.

  hablar comer insistir
yo hablo como insisto
hablas comes insistes
él / ella / usted habla come insiste
nosotros hablamos comemos insistimos
vosotros habláis coméis insistís
ellos / ellas / ustedes hablan comen insisten

Slavic 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
аз
az
пиша
piša
говоря
govorja
искам
iskam
отварям
otvarjam
ти
ti
пишеш
pišeš
говориш
govoriš
искаш
iskaš
отваряш
otvarjaš
той, тя, то
toj, tja, to
пише
piše
говори
govori
иска
iska
отваря
otvarja
ние
nie
пишем
pišem
говорим
govorim
искаме
iskame
отваряме
otvarjame
вие
vie
пишете
pišete
говорите
govorite
искате
iskate
отваряте
otvarjate
те
te
пишат
pišat
говорят
govorjat
искат
iskat
отварят
otvarjat

*Archaic, no infinitive in the modern language.

Macedonian present tense[edit]

The present tense of the Macedonian language is made of the 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
зборува
zboruva
сака
saka
отвaрa
otvara
јас
jas
пишувам
pišuvam
зборувам
zboruvam
сакам
sakam
отвaрам
otvaram
ти
ti
пишуваш
pišuvaš
зборуваш
zboruvaš
сакаш
sakaš
отвaраш
otvaraš
тој, таа, тоа
toj, taa, toa
пишува
pišuva
зборува
zboruva
сака
saka
отвaра
otvara
ние
nie
пишуваме
pišuvame
зборуваме
zboruvame
сакаме
sakame
отвaраме
otvarame
вие
vie
пишувате
pišuvate
зборувате
zboruvate
сакате
sakate
отвaрате
otvarate
тие
tie
пишуваат
pišuvaat
зборуваат
zboruvaat
сакаат
sakaat
отвaраат
otvaraat

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Comrie, Bernard, Tense, Cambridge Univ Press, 1985.

External links[edit]
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