Meaning of Present as a Word and Tenses in English, Check out the Example Sentences

Kapanlagi.com - Learning English is important. English is an international language and a language used in various aspects of life, such as technology and science. In Indonesia, English lessons have been taught since elementary school. This makes some English words start to sound familiar, one of which is the word present. So what is the actual meaning of present?

The word present may already be quite familiar. We often come across this word in reading books or conversations in movies and daily life. Despite its popularity, many people still do not know the meaning of present when translated into Indonesian.

To know the meaning of the word present, just check out the following review that has been summarized by kapanlagi.com from various sources.

1. Meaning of Present According to Dictionary

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As previously mentioned, present is one of the vocabulary words in English. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to find out the meaning of present is to check its definition in an English dictionary.

According to the online English dictionary.cambridge.com, the word present actually has several meanings. First, the meaning of present is something given or 'a gift'. Related to this, the word present in English is synonymous with the word gift.

In addition to gift, the meaning of present in English can also be a marker of time. In dictionary.cambridge.com, the meaning of present is defined as the period of time that is happening now, not the past or the future. If translated into Indonesian, it roughly means 'the time that is happening now, not the past or the future'.

In addition to these two meanings, in English the meaning of present can also be considered as a verb. Present can mean giving something. Related to this, in dictionary.cambridge.com, the meaning of present is written as to give, provide, or make something known or 'to give, provide, or make something understandable'.

2. Examples of the Use of Present in Sentences

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If examined more deeply, present is a quite unique word. This is because, from the explanation of the meaning of present above, we can see that this word has several meanings with different word classes. Therefore, to interpret the word present in a sentence, it must be done carefully.

To interpret the meaning of present in an English sentence, we must pay attention to the context of the sentence as a whole. To make it easier to understand, here are some examples of the use of the word present in sentences that are appropriate for each context.

1. Examples of Using the Word Present Meaning 'Gift'

- They gave me theatre tickets as a present.
(They gave me theatre tickets as a gift.)

- The coat was a birthday present from my sister.
(The coat was a birthday gift from my sister.)

- They got an entire set of silver cutlery as a wedding present.
(They received an entire set of silver cutlery as a wedding gift.)

2. Examples of Using the Word Present Meaning 'Current Time Marker'

- Please state your present occupation and salary.
(Please state your current occupation and salary.)

- The play is set in the present.
(The play is set in the current time.)

- "Are you busy?" "Not at present."
("Are you busy?" "Not at the moment.")

3. Examples of Using the Word Present Meaning 'Giving'

- He presented the report to his colleagues at the meeting.
(He presented the report to his colleagues at the meeting.)

- The winners were presented with medals.
(The winners were given medals.)

- The documentary presented us with a balanced view of the issue.
(The documentary gave us a balanced view of the issue.)

3. Present as Tenses

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In addition to being a word, in English present is also known as one of the tenses. Present tenses are used to describe situations that are happening now and will continue into the future. Meanwhile, for past situations, past tenses are used.

As reported by learnenglish.britishcouncil.org, present tense in English is divided into four, namely present simple, present continuous, present perfect, and present perfect continuous. To differentiate them, you can see the following examples.

1. Present Simple is used to state facts or habits. (s + V 1)

Example: I work

2. Present Continuous is used to describe something that is happening at a specific time. (s + to be + V ing)

Example: I am working

3. Present Perfect is used to state events that started in the past and continue until now. (S + have + V 2)

Example: I have worked

4. Present Perfect Continuous is used to state events that have finished at a specific point in the past. (S + have + V ing)

Example: I have been working

Those are some explanations about the meaning of present as a word and tense. Hopefully, this will be useful and add to your knowledge!

(kpl/gen/psp)