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Grammar
Course: Grammar > Unit 2
Lesson 2: Verb tensesThe present tense
How do we talk about things that are happening right now?
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Are there examples of present tenses that can also be past or future tenses?(38 votes)
Yes indeed. Three spring to mind right away.
One is called the historical present, which is when we talk about things in the past using the present tense to make them seem more relevant. It looks like this:It's 1932, and The Great Depression is in full swing. My grandfather is ten years old, and he's sitting on a stoop in Brooklyn, waiting for his buddies, so he can go play stickball.
There's also this construction where we can use the present tense to indicate the future, as inRaoul is getting his teeth cleaned on Friday, so he won't be free.
orI'm so excited for my trip; we leave next week.
You can also use the present tense for the future in a conditional sentence (which is something we haven't covered yet in these tutorials), as in:If Godzilla eats the atomic cookie, Tokyo is doomed for sure!
In the above sentence, the scenario wherein Godzilla eats an atomic cookie (whatever that is) hasn't happened yet; it's a future possibility, and yet we use the present tense for it.
Why is that? I have no idea. English is weird.(74 votes)
Please explain "I eat a doughnut" being present tense. I can see "I am eating a doughnut" or "I eat doughnuts," but not this example. Thanks.(35 votes)- Think of it as being habitual:
Every morning, at precisely 9 AM, I eat a doughnut.
I don't see a difference betweenI eat a doughnutandI eat doughnuts, except for the inevitable upset stomach. ;)(45 votes)
wouldn't it be i am eating a donut instead of i eat a donut(10 votes)
They are both forms of the present tense, but "I am eating" is the present continuous, while "I eat a donut" is the present simple. In a situation and sentence like that, it's more common to hear the continuous form. Both are right.(12 votes)
how come it is not eated but it is ate(8 votes)- Must be a mistake(0 votes)
At0:13, the tense "I eat a Donut" is grammatically incorrect. Isn't the correct PT "I'm eating a Donut"? Because, I happen to be a grammar person, so I'm very particular.(7 votes)
“I eat a donut” is in the present tense, specifically the aspect called the simple present. “I am eating a donut “ is the present progressive/ present continuous aspect.
While “I eat a donut” may sound odd on its own, it works as an example of a verb being in the present tense. Also, consider something like “I eat a donut every Sunday.” It sounds more like a normal sentence, but if you take away the adverbial phrase “every Sunday”, you’re left with the same subject and verb (and article “a”): “I eat a donut.”
Does that help?(4 votes)
Can the example David { The coach's name } took be like I am eating a donut?(3 votes)- Yes, it’s possible to say either “I eat a donut” or “I am eating a donut.” Both are in the present tense, but they are in the present simple and present progressive aspects, respectively.(3 votes)
this video can't be playing(2 votes)
When that happens to me, here's what I do.
1) Log out.
2) Shut down the computer.
3) Go do something fun for a while. I recommend shooting hoops.
4) Return to the computer.
5) Restart the computer.
6) Log back in to Khan Academy
7) Try watching the video again, from the very beginning.
8) If that doesn't help, then at least shooting hoops should have been fun for a while.
If this is helpful, please let me know.(4 votes)
"I eat a donut" sounds a little odd isn't he suppose to say "I am eating a donut"?(2 votes)- “I eat a donut” can actually be correct, though it doesn’t make much sense on its own. To me at least, “I eat a donut every Sunday” sounds fine. “I am eating a donut” does mean you are currently eating one right at this moment, and is also correct.(4 votes)
- Isn't it "Im eating a donut" instead of "I eat a donut"? Like its happening in The Present Time,(right now)hope someone will help me with this!(3 votes)
At1:40do you mean that there are ways a word can look like that and not be in the present tense?(3 votes)
The bare infinitive form of the verb (so the "eat" part of "to eat") is going to be in the present tense. I can't think of a situation when it's not. So if you see "I eat a bagel," this is happening in the present. Hope this helps!(2 votes)
0:13Video transcript
- [Voiceover] Hello, grammarians! Welcome to the present tense, or that which is happening right now. The present tense is how we talk about things that are happening
in the present moment. Like, "I eat a donut." If I say it that way, it means it's happening right now in the present as opposed to happening
later, in the future, or before now, in the past. The present tense is
what's happening right now. If you can just imagine, just put the words "right now" at the end of anything that takes
place in the present. "I eat a donut right now." "Louise doesn't want
a catapult right now." "The water is super cold right now." "Bertie is singing in
the shower right now." All of these sentences are taking place in what we call the present. There are a couple of ways
to form the present tense, and I demonstrated two of them here. So we can say "eat" or "doesn't" or "is". We can also say "is singing". So when you generally have something that has "is" and "ing" in it, means it's happening right now. It's happening in the present tense. So yeah, those are two of
the ways to form the present. If the verb is kind of unadorned, if it's kind of plain, "I eat a donut.", not "I was eating a donut." or "I ate a donut." or "I will eat a donut." if it's just kind of on its own like this, it's probably gonna be
in the present tense. Likewise, if you see the
word "is" and then "ing", that also means it's in the present tense. That's what you gotta know
about the present tense. It's happening now. You can learn anything. David, out.