ABSTRACT

The present tenses of the indicative express a wide range of actions, including what is happening in the immediate present and habitual actions. The present simple –– el presente –– is a very versatile tense. Its use is similar to its English counterpart, and in general it refers to actions that are happening as we speak, to general truths and to habitual actions. Some very common verbs are very irregular in the first person singular of the present tense. The use of the present continuous is similar in many instances to the use of its equivalent in English, for instance when referring to actions happening as we speak: Estoy leyendo. However, when in English this tense is used to refer to actions happening in the future, Spanish does not use the present continuous but the simple present or a future form.