English
What is the present tense?
Quick answer
The present tense is the verb form for things happening now, things that are always true, and habits, like I walk, she walks or we are walking.
In one sentence
The present tense is the form of a verb that shows something is happening now, happens regularly, or is always true.
Explained
The present tense covers more than this exact second. We use it for:
- things happening now: The baby is sleeping.
- habits and routines: I brush my teeth every morning.
- facts that are always true: Water boils at 100 °C. The sun rises in the east.
- timetables, even in the future: The train leaves at six.
There are two forms children meet first.
Simple present uses the base verb: I walk, you walk, we walk, they walk. With he, she or it (or one person or thing), add -s: she walks, the dog barks. Some verbs need -es (he watches, she goes, it fixes), and consonant + y becomes -ies (he carries). Matching the verb to the subject like this is called agreement.
Present progressive (also called the present continuous) uses am / is / are + -ing: I am reading, she is reading, they are reading. It is the natural choice for something happening right now.
A third form, the present perfect (has / have + past participle), links the past to now: I have finished my homework (so I can play now).
Some stories are written in the present tense to feel immediate: The door creaks open. Someone is standing there. That is a choice, and the key is to stick to it. Mixing present and past tense in one story confuses readers.
sun
clock
book
Examples
| Subject | Simple present | Present progressive |
|---|---|---|
| I | I eat | I am eating |
| you | you eat | you are eating |
| he / she / it | she eats | she is eating |
| we / they | they eat | they are eating |
- My cousin lives in Melbourne.
- Listen! The birds are singing.
- Bees make honey.
- Our school has won the cup.
Common mistakes
- Missing the -s. He like football → He likes football.
- Adding -s to plurals. The cats sleeps → The cats sleep.
- Getting be wrong. I is happy → I am happy; they is → they are.
- Switching tense mid-story. Choose one and keep to it.
Quick quiz
Present tense
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
Which sentence is in the present tense?
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For grown-ups
Related topics
Verbs
A verb is a word for an action (run, eat, write) or a state of being (is, seem, know). Almost every sentence has one, and verbs change to show tense.
Past tense
The past tense is the verb form we use for things that have already happened, like walked, ate or was playing. Regular verbs add -ed; irregular verbs change in other ways.
Pronouns
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun so you don't have to repeat it, such as he, she, it, they, we, me, mine or who.
Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense on its own. It starts with a capital letter, ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark, and usually has a verb.
Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes a noun, telling you what kind, which one or how many, like a huge elephant, a sour lemon or three red balloons.
Adverbs
An adverb gives more information about a verb, adjective or another adverb, telling how, when, where or how often, like slowly, tomorrow, outside or always.