What Is the Present Tense? (with Examples)

The present tense is a

• I

  swim

  in the sea every Saturday.

(This is a current activity.)

• I

  am

  happy.

(This is a current state of being)

• The meeting

  ends

  at 6 o’clock.

(This is a future activity.)

• A man

  walks

  into a bar. Ouch!

(This is a past activity.)

The

Examples of the Types of Present Tense

The present tense is categorized further depending on whether the action is in progress or completed (called the

The 4 Present Tenses
Examples
Uses

simple present tense

• I go.
• I like chocolate.
• The train gets in at 5 o’clock.
• A horse walks into a bar, and the barman says, “why the long face?”

The simple present tense is used:

(1) To describe facts and habits.

(2) To describe scheduled events in the future.

(3) To tell stories to make your listener or reader feel more engaged with the story.
present_progressive tense

• I am going.
• Barny is looking for the latest brochure.

The present progressive tense is used for an ongoing action in the present.

present perfect tense

• I have gone.
• David has worked alongside two of the world’s finest scientists in the field of entomology.

The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that began in the past and are still continuing into the present.

present perfect progressive

• I have been going.
• Julie has been relying on a pay rise to pay her student loan.

The present perfect progressive tense is used for:

(1) a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or
(2) a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).

A Video Summary

Here is a video summarizing this lesson on the present tense.

The present tense is a verb tense used to describe a current activity or state of being. However, somewhat unusually, the present tense can also be used to describe past and future activities. For example:The tense of a verb is determined by when the action took place. This page is about the present tense. Here are links to the other two tenses:The present tense is categorized further depending on whether the action is in progress or completed (called the aspect of a verb). The four present tenses are:Here is a video summarizing this lesson on the present tense.

More about the Simple Present Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the simple present tense.

Examples of the Simple Present Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the simple present tense.

base form

or

or

base form

+

“s”

• I

  play

  every Tuesday

• My family

  goes

  to France every summer.

• Between two evils, I always

  pick

  the one I have never tried before.

• Before I

  refuse

  to take your questions, I

  have

  an opening statement. (US President Ronald Reagan)

• I

  like

  the word indolence. It

  makes

  my laziness

  seem

  classy. (Philosopher Bernard Williams)

• I

  love

  deadlines. I

  like

  the whooshing sound they

  make

  as they

  fly by

  . (Author Douglas Adams)

• I

  base

  most of my fashion taste on what

  doesn’t itch

  . (Comedian Gilda Radner)

• War

  does not determine

  who

  is

  right – only who

  is

  left. (Philosopher Bertrand Russell)

Read more about the simple present tense and its spelling rules.

More about the Present Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present progressive tense.

Examples of the Present Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present progressive tense.

“am,” “is,” or “are”

+

[present participle]

• I

  am playing

  at the moment.

• I

  am not getting

  any younger!

• My family

  is emigrating

  to Australia next June.

• People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they

  are doing

  . (Author Dale Carnegie)

• I am not afraid of storms for I

  am learning

  how to sail my ship. (Author Louisa May Alcott)

• I

  am returning

  this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.

• A lot of good arguments are spoiled by some fool who knows what he

  is talking

  about. (Playwright Miguel de Unamuno)

• A fellow who

  is always declaring

  he’s no fool usually has his suspicions. (Playwright Wilson Mizner)

(Note that adverbs (here, ) sometimes appear between the verb “to be” (here, ) and the present participle (here, ).)

• As long as you

  ‘re having

  fun, that’s the key. The moment it becomes a grind, it’s over. (Singer Barry Gibb)

• Middle age is when you

  ‘re sitting

  at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you. (Poet Ogden Nas)

• I

  ‘m leaving

  because the weather is too good. I hate London when it

  ‘s not raining

  . (Comedian Groucho Marx)

Read more about the present progressive tense.

More about the Present Perfect Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect tense.

Examples of the Present Perfect Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect tense.

“has” or “have”

+

[past participle]

• I

  have played

  for his team before.

• Don’t take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent

  has taken

  the right side.

• Poets

  have been

  mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.

• If I

  have seen

  further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. (Physicist Isaac Newton)

• Only the dead

  have seen

  the end of the war. (Philosopher George Santayana)

• It

  has been

  my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues. (US President Abraham Lincoln)

• Like all great travellers, I

  have seen

  more than I remember, and remember more than I

  have seen

  . (British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli)

• I

  have taken

  more out of alcohol than alcohol

  has taken

  out of me.

• I may not

  have gone

  where I intended to go, but I think I

  have ended up

  where I intended to be. (Author Douglas Adams)

• I

  ‘ve failed

  over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. (Basketball star Michael Jordan)

• Our scientific power

  has outrun

  our spiritual power. We

  have guided

  missiles and

  misguided

  men. (Activist Martin Luther King Jr)

Read more about the present perfect tense.

More about the Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect progressive tense.

Examples of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect progressive tense.

“has been” or “have been”

+

[present participle]

• I

  have been playing

  for a year.

• Fiona

  has not been playing

  well for 2 months.

• My grandparents

  have been living

  in this house for 50 years.

• Mary

  has been relying

  on a pay rise to pay her credit card bills.

• We

  have been learning

  since we were children how to make money, buy things, and build things. The whole education system is set up to teach us how to think, not to feel. (Comedian Yakov Smirnoff)

• My son

  has been laughing

  at inappropriate situations for the past two years.

• While I thought that I was learning how to live, I

  have been learning

  how to die. (Polymath Leonardo da Vinci)

• Well, I think money

  has been going

  into political campaigns for a very long time. (Businesswoman Carly Fiorina)

• I

  have been doing

  marriage counseling for about 15 years and I realized that what makes one person feel loved, doesn’t make another person feel loved. (Author Gary Chapman)

• Either I

  ‘ve been

  something or nothing

  has been going on

  .

Read more about the present perfect progressive tense.

Verb Tense Widget

Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a , then you can click it!

to

base form

(

verb)

verb)

Select the tenses.

Present Tenses

Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is mostly used to describe facts and habits. More…(opens new tab)
I base form
you base form
he/she/it 3rd pers sing present
we base form
you base form
they base form

Present Progressive Tense
The present progressive tense is used for an ongoing action in the present.
More…(opens new tab)
I am present participle
you are present participle
he/she/it is present participle
we are present participle
you are present participle
they are present participle

Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used for actions that began in the past. (Often, the actions continue into the present.)
More…(opens new tab)
I have past participle
you have past participle
he/she/it has past participle
we have past participle
you have past participle
they have past participle

Present Perfect Progressive Tense
The present perfect progressive tense is used for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).
More…(opens new tab)
I have been present participle
you have been present participle
he/she/it has been present participle
we have been present participle
you have been present participle
they have been present participle

Past Tenses

Simple Past
The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past.
More…(opens new tab)
I past tense
you past tense
he/she/it past tense
we past tense
you past tense
they past tense

Past Progressive Tense
The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
More…(opens new tab)
I was present participle
you were present participle
he/she/it was present participle
we were present participle
you were present participle
they were present participle

Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took place.
More…(opens new tab)
I had past participle
you had past participle
he/she/it had past participle
we had past participle
you had past participle
they had past participle

Past Perfect Progressive Tense
The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended.
More…(opens new tab)
I had been present participle
you had been present participle
he/she/it had been present participle
we had been present participle
you had been present participle
they had been present participle

Future Tenses

Simple Future
The simple future tense is used for an action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will base form
you will base form
he/she/it will base form
we will base form
you will base form
they will base form

Future Progressive Tense
The future progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will be present participle
you will be present participle
he/she/it will be present participle
we will be present participle
you will be present participle
they will be present participle

Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have past participle
you will have past participle
he/she/it will have past participle
we will have past participle
you will have past participle
they will have past participle

Future Perfect Progressive Tense
The future perfect progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
he/she/it will have been present participle
we will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
they will have been present participle

Slider Showing All the Tenses

The following slider shows all 12

Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a, then you can click it!The following slider shows all 12 tenses . All the present tenses are highlighted with a yellow background.

Introduction to the Present Value of a Single Amount (PV), Calculations for the Present Value of a Single Amount, Visualizing the Present Value Amount, Visualizing the Length of Time (n), Visualizing the Interest Rate (i), Visualizing the Future Value Amount (FV)

Present Value Formulas, Tables and Calculators

The easiest and most accurate way to calculate the present value of any future amounts (single amount, varying amounts, annuities) is to use an electronic financial calculator or computer software. Some electronic financial calculators are now available for less than $35.

IMPORTANT! Understand that each financial calculator operates differently and may operate in a manner that is different from our Explanation. Be certain to read and thoroughly understand the directions before operating any calculator or computer software. One incorrect assumption, one incorrect input, or the use of a button that works differently from what you assumed, will mean an incorrect answer—and that could have a significant financial consequence!

If you don’t have access to an electronic financial calculator or software, an easy way to calculate present value amounts is to use present value tables (PV tables). PV tables cannot provide the same level of accuracy as financial calculators or computer software because the factors used in the tables are rounded off to fewer decimal places. In addition, they usually contain a limited number of choices for interest rates and time periods. Despite this, present value tables remain popular in academic settings because they are easy to incorporate into a textbook. Because of their widespread use, we will use present value tables for solving our examples.

Behind every table, calculator, and piece of software, are the needed to compute present value amounts, interest rates, the number of periods, and the future value amounts. We will, at the outset, show you several examples of how to use the present value formula in addition to using the PV tables.

Except for minor differences due to rounding, answers to equations below will be the same whether they are computed using a financial calculator, computer software, PV tables, or the formulas.

Calculating the Present Value of a Single Amount (PV)

In this section we will demonstrate how to find the present value of a single future cash amount, such as a receipt or a payment. We’ll refer to the present value of a single amount as PV.

Exercise #1

Let’s assume we are to receive $100 at the end of two years. How do we calculate the present value of the amount, assuming the interest rate is 8% per year compounded annually?

The following timeline depicts the information we know, along with the unknown component (PV):

Calculation Using the PV Formula

The present value formula for a single amount is:

Using the second version of the formula, the solution is:

The answer, $85.73, tells us that receiving $100 in two years is the same as receiving $85.73 today, if the time value of money is 8% per year compounded annually. (“Today” is the same concept as “time period 0.”)

Calculation Using a PV of 1 Table

It’s common for accounting and finance textbooks to provide present value tables to use in calculating present value amounts. In a PV of 1 table, each heading displays an interest rate (i), and the indicates the number of periods into the future before an amount will occur (n). At the intersection of each column and row is the correlating present value of 1 (PV of 1) factor. The PV of 1 factor tells us what the present value will be, at time period 0, for a single amount of $1 at the end of time period (n). Click the following to see a present value of 1 table: PV of 1 Table.

The PV of 1 table has two limitations: (1) values are rounded (ours has the rounding to three decimal places for ease of use) and thus the table sacrifices a bit of accuracy, and (2) the table displays only a limited number of choices for rates and years.

Once you determine the PV of 1 factor from the table, simply use it to substitute for the following term in the PV formula: [ 1 ÷ (1 + i)n ]

Using the data presented in Exercise #1, we can solve for the present value of receiving $100 at the end of two years, when discounted by an interest rate of 8% compounded annually:

Because the PV of 1 table had the factors rounded to three decimal places, the answer ($85.70) differs slightly from the amount calculated using the PV formula ($85.73). In either case, what the answer tells us is that $100 at the end of two years is the equivalent of receiving approximately $85.70 today (at time period 0) if the time value of money is 8% per year compounded annually.

Exercise #2

We need to calculate the present value (the value at time period 0) of receiving a single amount of $1,000 in 20 years. The interest rate for discounting the future amount is estimated at 10% per year compounded annually.

The following timeline depicts the information we know, along with the unknown component (PV):

Calculation Using the PV of 1 Formula
Using the formula to determine the present value, we have:

The answer tells us that receiving $1,000 in 20 years is the equivalent of receiving $148.64 today, if the time value of money is 10% per year compounded annually.

Calculation Using a PV of 1 Table
Use the PV of 1 table to find the (rounded) present value factor at the intersection of n = 20 and i = 10%. To calculate the present value of receiving $1,000 at the end of 20 years with a 10% interest rate, insert the factor into the formula:

We see that the present value of receiving $1,000 in 20 years is the equivalent of receiving approximately $149.00 today, if the time value of money is 10% per year compounded annually.

Exercise #3

What is the present value of receiving a single amount of $5,000 at the end of three years, if the time value of money is 8% per year, compounded ?

The following timeline depicts the information we know, along with the unknown component (PV):

Notice that the timeline shows n = 12, because there are 12 quarters in the three-year period. Because the time periods are three months long, the rate for discounting is i = 2% (the rate that results from the annual rate of 8% divided by the four quarters in each year).

Calculation Using the PV Formula
Using the formula to determine the present value, we have:

The answer tells us that receiving $5,000 three years from today is the equivalent of receiving $3,942.45 today, if the time value of money has an annual rate of 8% that is compounded .

Calculation Using a PV of 1 Table
The present value of receiving $5,000 at the end of three years when the interest rate is compounded , requires that (n) and (i) be stated in quarters. Use the PV of 1 Table to find the (rounded) present value figure at the intersection of n = 12 (3 years x 4 quarters) and i = 2% (8% per year ÷ 4 quarters). Insert the factor into the formula:

We see that the present value of receiving $5,000 three years from today is approximately $3,940.00 if the time value of money is 8% per year, compounded quarterly.

Exercise #4

What is the present value of receiving a single amount of $10,000 at the end of five years, if the time value of money is 6% per year, compounded ?

The following timeline depicts the information we know, along with the unknown component (PV):

Notice that the timeline shows n = 10, because there are 10 six-month (or semiannual) periods in five-years time. Because the compounding occurs semiannually, the rate for discounting is i = 3% per six-month period (the annual rate of 6% divided by the two semiannual periods in each year).

Calculation Using the PV Formula
Using the formula to determine the present value, we have:

The answer tells us that receiving $10,000 five years from today is the equivalent of receiving $7,440.90 today, if the time value of money has an annual rate of 6% compounded .

Calculation Using a PV of 1 Table
The present value of receiving $10,000 at the end of five years when the compounding is semiannual, requires that n = 10 (5 years X 2 semiannual periods per year) and that i = 3% (6% per year ÷ two semiannual periods in each year). Use the PV of 1 Table to find the (rounded) present value factor at the intersection of n = 10 and i = 3%. Insert the factor into the formula:

We see that the present value of receiving $10,000 five years from today is the equivalent of receiving approximately $7,440.00 today, if the time value of money has an annual rate of 6% compounded .