present tense

Also present

[prez-uhnt tens]

noun

Grammar.

1. (in English) the simple present.

2. any verb formation or construction used to express an action or state occurring in the present, such as, in English, the present progressive.

3. an instance or form of a specific verb expressing an action or state that occurs in the present.

Word History and Origins

Origin of present tense¹

First recorded in 1400–50

Example Sentences

My son stands for — and I speak of him in present tense — everything that’s beautiful about life and the gifts that we all derive from our source.

From Salon

Morgan Jerkins has given us something magnificent in her second novel, “Zeal“: a sweeping historical novel that plants itself firmly in the present tense of American reckoning.

From Salon

She structures her narrative chronologically, conveyed in present tense, newsreel-style, evoking the Pacific Northwest’s woodsy tang and bland suburbia.

From Los Angeles Times

In an emotional interview on ITV's Lorraine, Cassidy said she sometimes finds it "hard to get out of bed" and still refers to him in the present tense.

From BBC

Walger struggled with “Lion” at first, until she landed upon the idea of using the continuous present tense as the “thread of beads” that holds together its nonlinear narrative.

From Los Angeles Times