... pay now past time present time future time The present tense shows clearly that in English, tense is not the same as time. The present tense is not usually used to describe present time. Instead, ... present tense is the tense for description, definition, and statements of general truth. As the time line shows, the present tense extends from past time, through the present and into the future. ... present, and for a period of time which includes the present. On the time line above, the circle represents this period of time. In the present continuous tense, time markers are not always used....