The present tense is one of the three main verb tenses in the English language, alongside the past tense and the future tense. This explanation will introduce the present tense and its uses, define the four different types of the present tense, and provide plenty of examples.
What is the present tense?
The present tense is a grammatical tense primarily used to discuss actions and events occurring at the present time. However, these aren't its only functions.
The main functions of the present tense are:
Describing actions and events which happen in the present - e.g. I'm looking for my glasses, have you seen them?
For reoccurring or habitual actions/events - e.g. I normally go to the cafe on the river.
Connect past events with the present - e.g. I've seen that film before.
Telling jokes or retelling events - e.g. A man walks into a bar ...
Talking about the future - e.g. I'm seeing John next week.
Describing states - e.g. I live in Mexico.
Let's look at a few examples in detail.
A. Today is my birthday.
B. My Birthday is on the 25th of September.
C. I have been celebrating.
The examples above all use the present tense but for different reasons. Example A uses the present tense because it is describing an event that is happening in the present. On the other hand, example B uses the present tense because it is talking about a reoccurring event that happens every year. Example C describes an action that began in the past but continues in the present.
The present tense is divided into four aspects (sometimes named 'forms'), creating the present simple tense, the present continuous (or progressive) tense, the present perfect tense, and the present perfect continuous (or progressive) tense.
We will cover each of these tenses in more detail shortly, but first, let's look at some examples of present tense sentences.
Fig 1. Today is my birthday! is an example of the present tense.
Present tense sentence examples
Here is a list of some present tense sentences.
Everyone is heading downstairs.
Emily takes piano lessons every Tuesday.
I am talking on the phone.
I go to France every year.
Types of present tense
Simply put, the types of present tense include simple present tense and present continuous. There are also a few other present tenses in English, such as present perfect and present perfect continuous, but these are more complex tenses and are used to describe actions that started in the past and continue up to the present moment.
However, each of the three main tenses (past, present, and future) is divided into four aspects. An aspect is a verb form concerned with time and indicates the completion, duration, or repetition of an action.
The four aspects are simple, progressive (continuous), perfect, and perfect progressive (continuous).
Christmas is on the 25th of December
Here the present simple tense is used to show a repeated event.
She is writing.
Here the present continuous tense is used to show that the action is ongoing and not yet complete.
I have eaten already, thanks
The present perfect tense is used here to show that a past event (eating) has an effect on the present.
I have been working since 9 am.
Here the present perfect continuous tense is used to connect an event that started in the past, to the present. We can see that the action (working) is ongoing and not yet completed.
Here is a handy table outlining the four present tenses and how they are used:
| Present simple | I write a letter. |
| Present progressive (continuous) | I am writing a letter. |
| Present perfect | I have written a letter. |
| Present perfect progressive (continuous) | I have been writing a letter. |
In the next section, we will outline each of these tenses and provide you with the formula for creating them. The next section will also give you some example sentences of the tenses in their positive, negative, and interrogative forms.
Present simple tense
The present simple tense is one of the most common and easy to understand tenses. It has two main uses: to discuss something that is happening in the present or to discuss something that happens regularly.
You can form the present simple tense by using this formula:
Subject + root form of the verb (+ s/es for third-person singular)
A. I'm sorry.
B. She is happy.
C. Amy goes swimming every day.
Examples A and B tell us about something that is happening in the present, whereas example 3 tells us about a recurring event.
| Positive | I am happy. |
| Negative | I'm not happy. |
| Interrogative | Are you happy? |
Present continuous (progressive) tense
We use the present continuous (progressive) tense to talk about actions happening at the time of speaking that haven't yet been completed. For example, 'I am learning about the present tense'.
We can also use the present progressive tense to discuss fixed future plans or arrangements. For example, 'We're going to Brighton next weekend'.
You can use this formula to form the present progressive (continuous) tense:
subject + verb 'to be' + base verb + ing (sometimes called the present participle)
A. They are eating at Nandos.
B. She is talking with her friends.
C. Next week, we are visiting our grandparents.
Notice how all of the verbs end with -ing. This helps us recognise that the present continuous tense is being used. In examples A and B, the verbs eating and talking show us that the action is ongoing and not yet completed. In example 3, the present continuous tense has been used to discuss a fixed future plan.
| Positive | I am writing |
| Negative | I'm not writing |
| Interrogative | Are you writing? |
There are some verbs that we cannot use in the progressive tense. These are named stative verbs. Stative verbs are usually for abstract concepts, such as feelings and senses, rather than actions. In this case, we would use the present simple verb form instead. For example, we say 'I believe you.' rather than 'I am believing you.'
Present perfect tense
The present perfect tense is used to connect an action or event that happened in the past with the present. The timing of the action or event is usually unspecified.
We often use the present perfect tense to talk about things that have happened in an unfinished time period (i.e. the day, the week, the year, a lifetime).
For example, 'Today, I have eaten a burger and a salad.' The present perfect tense has been used here because the day is not yet over. Once the day is over, the tense changes to 'Yesterday, I ate a hamburger and a salad.' This is because the past tense is used for completed actions in the past.
We can also the present perfect to describe actions or events that have just finished. We do this by adding the words just, recently, or already. For example, 'I have just finished my lunch.'
To form the present perfect, you can use this formula:
Subject + have/has + past participle
A. I have written ten emails today.
B. He has been ill since Tuesday.
C. We have eaten curry before.
Notice how each sentence uses the past participle verb form (or verb form number 3, as it is sometimes called). In the example sentences, the part participle verbs are written, been, and eaten. We always use past participles when forming perfect tenses.
| Positive | I have eaten |
| Negative | I haven't eaten |
| Interrogative | Have you eaten? |
Fig 2. I've been writing emails all day! is an example of the present tense.
Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense
This is the final present verb tense. The present perfect continuous tense (also known as present perfect progressive tense) shows us that something started in the past and is continuing into the present time.
To form the present perfect progressive tense, you can use this formula:
subject + has/have been + base verb + ing (present participle)
A. I have been reading my textbook for a week now.
B. I haven't been feeling great lately.
C. Ben has been arriving to work late recently.
All of the examples above tell us about actions that started in the past and are still ongoing. Look at example B, we know that the speaker has been feeling unwell recently and still feels unwell now.
It is common to use the words lately and recently when using the present perfect continuous tense.
| Positive | I have been eating. |
| Negative | I haven't been eating |
| Interrogative | Have you been eating? |
Remember how we mentioned stative verbs above? As this is a continuous tense, we must remember to think about stative verbs here as well. When using a verb that cannot be used in the continuous aspect, we use the present perfect tense instead. For example, we say 'He has owned a car since August' (present perfect tense), rather than 'He has been owning a car since August.'
Present perfect vs present perfect continuous
The difference between the present perfect (simple) and present perfect continuous can be a little tricky to understand. We use both of these verb forms to talk about actions or states that started in the past and have some connection to the present. However, there are a few key differences.
The present perfect usually focuses on the result of an action in some way, whereas the present perfect progressive focuses more on the action itself.
'I've cleaned the kitchen, it looks great! ' (present perfect tense)
Here the present perfect is used to focus on the result of the action, the clean kitchen.
'I've been cleaning the kitchen for hours! ' (present perfect continuous tense)
Here the present perfect progressive is used to focus on the duration of the action (cleaning).
The present perfect tense is also more commonly used to describe an action that is completed, while the present perfect continuous is used to talk about actions that are ongoing and may continue into the future.
'I've made your lunch.' (present perfect)
Here the present perfect tense is used because the action has been completed.
'I have been making your lunch since 11 am.' (present perfect continuous)
Here, the present perfect continuous is used because the action is ongoing.
Using the present tense to talk about the future
You may be surprised to hear that we almost always use the present tense to talk about the future. In fact, some grammarians argue that there is no 'future tense' in English, just ways of 'expressing the future'. This is because there is no unique way of adapting verbs to reflect the future (i.e. we don't use verb inflections).
However, the future tense is now widely considered one of the three main verb tenses in English.
Using the present simple to talk about the future
We use the present simple to discuss events in the future that will definitely happen - either because they're facts or because there is a timetable/schedule.
A. The train arrives at 2 pm.
B. Emily has an appointment tomorrow.
Example A uses the present tense as the train arrives in accordance with a timetable, whereas example B uses the present tense because it is a fact that Emily has an appointment for tomorrow (note - whether or not Emily attends the appointment doesn't change the fact that it has been booked).
Using the present continuous tense to talk about the future
As previously mentioned, we use the present continuous to talk about fixed future plans.
A. We're going to France tomorrow.
B. I'm leaving at 1 pm.
Using auxiliary verbs to talk about the future
Auxiliary verbs are sometimes referred to as 'helping verbs' because they help modify the main verb. In this case, we use auxiliary verbs to help change the main verb into the future tense.
The main auxiliary verbs we use are will and (is/am/are) going to.
A. I eat. (present tense)
B. I'll eat later. (future tense)
See how the future tense has been created from the present tense by adding an auxiliary verb before the main verb (will).
Using the present tense to talk about the past
We often use the present tense when talking about things in the past. This is most common in storytelling, joke-telling and news reporting. Many authors will also use the present tense in their writing to immerse the reader in the 'now' of the story.
We also use the present tense when reporting speech.
A. German leader resigns.
B. So, I met this woman and she says to me, 'Can I buy you a drink?'
C. In 1918 the war ends and an election takes place.
Present Tense - Key takeaways
The present tense is one of the three main verb tenses in English.
- The present tense is used to discuss actions and events happening in the present, to discuss reoccurring events, to connect past events with the present, and to discuss the future and the past.
The present tense contains four aspects: present (simple), present continuous (or progressive), present perfect, and present perfect continuous (progressive).
The present tense is one of the most commonly used tenses in spoken English.
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