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Tenses > Present Tense

Present Tense - De+nition,

Structure, Types, Rules and
Examples

In the English language, tense is used to represent

the time of an action. Among the three English
tenses, the present tense is used to talk about what is
happening in the current time. In this article, you will
learn the de<nition, structure, and rules of usage,
along with examples.

Table of Contents
What Is the Present Tense?
De<nition of Present Tense
Types of Present Tense
Structure of Present Tense
Examples of Present Tense
Frequently Asked Questions on Present Tense

What Is the Present Tense?

The present tense refers to the action or event that
takes place or is taking place in the present. It
represents the current activity or the present state of
being of the subject in the given context.

De<nition of Present Tense

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary de<nes present
tense as “the tense of a verb that expresses action or
state in the present time and is used of what occurs
or is true at the time of speaking and of what is
habitual or characteristic or is always or necessarily
true, that is sometimes used to refer to action in the
past, and that is sometimes used for future events.”
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the
present tense is “the form of a verb that expresses an
action that is happening now or at the time of
speaking.” The Cambridge Dictionary de<nes present
tense as “the form of the verb that is used to show
what happens or exists now.”

Types of Present Tense

The present tense can be used in four different forms,
namely,

Simple Present Tense – used to indicate the

current action or an action that takes place
regularly.
Present Continuous Tense – used to denote an
action that is continuing at the present
moment.
Present Perfect Tense – used to indicate an
action that is used to denote an action that is
inde<nite and still has its effect on the subject
or object in the sentence.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense – used to
represent an action that began in the recent
past and is still continuing.

Structure of Present Tense

Have a look at the following table to understand the
structure of the present tense.

Simple Present Tense

Subject + Verb in the base form/third person plural form

Example: I go to school everyday.

He plays cricket.

Also, take a look at the following table to understand

how the general format in which the present tense
behaves in the positive, negative and imperative
format.

Positive Negative
Swipe left
Subject + Verb Subject + Do not/Does not (D

Example: She likes pizzas. Example: She does not like p

Examples of Present Tense

Given below are a few examples of the present tense.

Theo sings wonderfully.

Marley and Noah are on the way to the park.
Does Rachel dance?
Naveen is practising for the annual day.
Rani has kept this notebook for so many years.
It has been raining for quite some time now.

Frequently Asked Questions on

Present Tense
What is the present tense?
The present tense refers to the action or event that
takes place or is taking place in the present. It
represents the current activity or the present state of
being of the subject in the given context.

What is the de<nition of the present

tense?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary de<nes present
tense as “the tense of a verb that expresses action or
state in the present time and is used of what occurs
or is true at the time of speaking and of what is
habitual or characteristic or is always or necessarily
true, that is sometimes used to refer to action in the
past, and that is sometimes used for future events.”
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the
present tense is “the form of a verb that expresses an
action that is happening now or at the time of
speaking.” The Cambridge Dictionary de<nes present
tense as “the form of the verb that is used to show
what happens or exists now.”

What are the different types of

present tense?
There are four main types or forms of the present
tense in the English language, namely,

Simple Present Tense

Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Give some examples of the present

tense.
Here are some examples of present tense for your
reference.

Theo sings wonderfully.

Marley and Noah are on the way to the park.
Naveen is practising for the annual day.
Rani has kept this notebook for so many years.
It has been raining for quite some time now.

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