Present tense verbs are the most basic of verbs, but that doesn’t mean they’re boring. Verbs show a subject’s action, and present tense verbs describe what a subject is doing in the moment -- it doesn’t get much more present than that. Learn and teach lists of present tense verbs and how to use them with our worksheets, games, lesson plans and more.
Being able to convey a setting is an integral part of writing. Part of the setting is when in time the story is taking place. In order to make the reader aware of the timeline, students should be taught to use the appropriate tense of verbs in their pieces, like past tense verbs. If something is happening now, or in the present tense, your students should use the present tense verbs.
The present tense indicates that an action is happening now in relation to the write or speaker.
When presenting a verb as something that is actively happening, your student will often add the -ing suffix to the verb. This is known as the participle verb. For example:
Run - He is running
Walk - She is walking to school
Catch - He is catching a cold
Talk - They are talking
Sometimes present tense verbs are used to convey things that happen in the present but aren’t necessarily happening now. These are describing actions that are factual or habitual. These verbs are known as present indicative verbs. We make a verb a present indicative verb by adding an S:
Run - He runs every morning
Walk - She walks to school
Catch - He catches the ball regularly
Talk - He talks too much
Sometimes the present tense can be used to when referring to the past is what is referred to as the fictional present. This is a narrative tool used in casual speaking. Working with your students using the resources and activities provided by Education.com above may help them learn to use present tense verbs correctly.
