Delahunty and Garvey
states of affairs, such as, A square has four equal sides, Dogs bark, Tigers are
dangerous, Verbs denote activities and states. This usage is used by lexicogra-
phers in defining words in dictionaries and by textbook writers to explain
technical terms, as a quick review of this book will show.
Exercise
Dictionary definitions are often expressed with the simple present
tense. Find five words in your dictionary that are defined using the
simple present tense.
Closely related to timeless truths are states of affairs that are treated as
if they were permanent, such as New York lies along the Hudson, The Eiffel
Tower stands in central Paris. We know New York has lain along the banks of
the Hudson for as long as it has existed and that the Eiffel Tower has stood
in Paris since it was built, and if we expect no change in these locations, we
can use the simple present.
Play-by-play
The simple present can be used for “play-by-play” commentary (a.k.a. “in
situ narrative”) on sports or ceremonies. In this use, activity verbs denote
events that are almost simultaneous with the utterance that describes them:
McCool steps into the ring. He looks his opponent in the eye. Ripkin swings
and... misses. Ronaldo shoots and it’s a goal.
Related to the play-by-play usage is a speaker’s commentary on what they
themselves are doing. For example, when a speaker is demonstrating some-
thing, say, following a recipe, they may use the simple present: I now add the
crushed garlic and the chopped onions. Or in relatively formal business letters,
one may write: I enclose my check for $50.00.
Historical present
To communicate immediacy, the present tense is often used to refer to past
events in narratives and stories, a use that is often referred to as the historical
present, for example, So the cop comes over to us and says...
Scheduled events in the future
The simple present may also be used to denote future scheduled or planned
events: Tom leaves for Dallas tomorrow. Adverbials indicating when the event
is to take place may be included. In the example above, no repetition of