The present tense

Matthew Miller biblicalscribe at hotmail.com
Tue Apr 30 10:53:44 EDT 2002


Hello all,
As I understand it, the Greek present tense (not the aorist aspect, but the 
indicative present) is usually analgous to the English progressive present. 
English has three present tenses: the progressive present (I am eating), the 
aorist, or standard, present (I eat), and the emphatic present (I do eat). 
The Greek indicative present tense often carries the meaning of the English 
progressive present. I suppose that context ultimately determines meaning -- 
at least that is the philosophy I use. Normally, if you want to express the 
other two English present tenses, you would use the Greek aorist aspect. 
Matt Miller


>From: waldo slusher <waldoslusher at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: waldo slusher <waldoslusher at yahoo.com>
>To: Biblical Greek <b-greek at franklin.oit.unc.edu>
>Subject: [b-greek] The present tense
>Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 20:46:15 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>Sometimes I read that the present tense means
>"continuous action." Other times "continuous action"
>seems absent from the verbal idea.
>
>How does one tell when the idea is "continuous action"
>and when it is not? And when it is not, what kind of
>action is it?
>
>Waldo Slushter
>Calgary, AL
>
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