present (2)

On a previous page, I showed examples of how the word "present" can be used as a noun or as an adjective. Here, I’ll show the word "present" as a verb. In this case, the accent is on the second syllable:

pre sent

When used as a verb, "present" means that something is given or shown.

• The winner was presented with an award. (He was given an award.)

• Christine will present her ideas to the board of directors.
• Did Bob present his proposal at the meeting?
• The little boy presented his mother with a handful of flowers.
• The community theater is presenting five new plays this year, three dramas and two comedies.

Sometimes the word "present" is used when something comes into existence:

• This situation presents a problem for us.
• The deep snow presented a challenge for the morning commute.
• New tax laws present the company with some good opportunities to save money.

The word "presentation" is a noun:

• Christine is giving a presentation.
• Bob has to make a presentation at the meeting.
• The presentation lasted for just over an hour.
• At the end of the ceremony, there was the presentation of awards.
• That was a great presentation! Not only was it informative, it was also entertaining.

Click here to learn more words.

December 18, 2013