The tenses of a verb are the forms that help to show time. There are 6 tenses in English: present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. This article shall examine the uses of the first three tenses.

The present tense form of a verb is the same as the verbs base form, except for the third- person singular, which ads s or es. Exceptions are the verbs be and have. The present tense expresses a constant, repeated, or habitual action or condition. It can also express a general truth. EG Molly puts horseradish on ham sandwiches. [not just this ham sandwich but every ham sandwich; a repeated action]. EG The Yazoo River flows into the Mississippi River. [always; a habitual action] EG Ice melts at thirty-two degrees Farenheit. [a general truth]. The present tense can also express an action or a condition that exists only now.

The present tense is sometimes used in historical writing to express past events and, more often, in poetry, fiction, and journalism (especially in sports writing) to convey to the reader a sense of being there.