Present tense
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- This article is about the grammatical tense. For the album by Sagittarius (band), see Present Tense. For the Pearl Jam song, see Present Tense (song). For the band, see Present Tense (band).
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The present tense is the tense (that is, the form of the verb) that may be used to express:
- action at the present
- a state of being;
- a habitual action;
- an occurrence in the near future; or
- an action that occurred in the past and continues up to the present.
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).
[edit] English present tense
English, like other Germanic languages, has two tenses, past and non-past. These tenses have several aspects. The present tense aspects comprise:
- present simple, which is used to describe both habits and or routines (I eat breakfast every morning at 6:30. I go to work everyday), and general facts or the truth (The earth revolves around the sun);
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.) But in the third person singular (after he, she, it, your friend and etc.,), the verb ends in -s or -es. (Ex. It gets busy at weekends. Sarah catches the early train.)
- present progressive or present continuous, which is used to describe events happening now, e.g. I am reading this wiki article, and I am thinking about editing it;
- present perfect, which is used to describe events or actions that have been completed with respect to the present, e.g. I have read and edited numerous wiki articles before this one;
- present perfect progressive, which is used to describe events or actions that have begun at some point in the past and continue through the present, e.g. I have been reading this article for some time now.
The conjugation of the present indicative tense in regular verbs is as follows:
| to walk | |
|---|---|
| I | walk |
| you | walk |
| he/she/it | walks |
| we | walk |
| they | walk |
[edit] Spanish present indicative tense
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 |
| él /ella /usted | habla | come | insiste |
| nosotros | hablamos | comemos | insistimos |
| vosotros | habláis | coméis | insistís |
| ustedes | hablan | comen | insisten |
| ellos /ellas | hablan | comen | insisten |
[edit] French present indicative tense
In French, the present tense is used similarly to that of English. Below is an example of present tense conjugation in French.
| parler | prendre | finir | partir | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | parle | prends | finis | pars |
| tu | parles | prends | finis | pars |
| il/elle/on | parle | prend | finit | part |
| nous | parlons | prenons | finissons | partons |
| vous | parlez | prenez | finissez | partez |
| ils/elles | parlent | prennent | 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're looking for a new apartment, we're in the process of finding a new apartment.
[edit] German present indicative tense
In German, the present tense is used in a similar fashion. 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 |
[edit] Italian present indicative tense
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 |
[edit] Portuguese present indicative tense
In Portuguese regular verbs, the present tense is conjugated according to the model below:
| acabar | comer | partir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | acabo | como | parto |
| tu | acabas | coes | partes |
| ele/ela/você | 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.
[edit] Latin present indicative tense
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 |
[edit] Bulgarian present indicative tense
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.
[edit] Finnish present indicative tense
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 |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
cs:Přítomný čas de:Präsens es:Presente (gramática) fr:Présent (linguistique) gd:Tràth làthaireach hr:Prezent it:Presente indicativo mk:Сегашно време ms:Kala kini no:Presens pl:Czas teraźniejszy pt:Presente ru:Настоящее время sh:Prezent fi:Preesens sv:Presens zh:現在式
