Presents and presence have almost the same spelling and pronunciation, but they are different words and are not interchangeable. We use presents as a noun and a verb, while presence is only used as a noun. As a noun, presents means gifts. As a verb, it means to give something to someone, to show something, and to give a speech.
Meanwhile, presence is a noun that refers to the act of being present in a particular place. To avoid being confused between presents and presence, remember that presents and gifts have the letter “t.”
When to Use Presents
We use presents as a plural noun and a synonym for gifts. As a verb, it means to show something to someone. Moreover, when used as a noun, presents is the plural noun form of the word “present.” Also, as a verb, presents is the present tense form of the verb “present.”
Presents as a Noun
Gifts
The couple who just got married received many presents on their wedding day.
To avoid rush shopping, she buys Christmas presents one month before December.
Presents as a Verb
To give something to someone
The boss presents an award to the youngest employee.
As part of the company’s initiative, the CEO presents a cheque for $1000 to their chosen local institution with a social mission.
To show something
Richard presents their newest client with an impressive marketing proposal. Typically, the work conversations segue into casual talks.
The way she presents herself on social media seems like she has a perfect life.
To give a speech
During meetings, he presents with confidence.
He presents the report at the end of the month.
When to Use Presence
We use presence as a noun to refer to the state of being present. Moreover, it refers to someone’s ability to make people notice them. Lastly, it refers to a spiritual or influence that can’t be seen but is felt.
Presence as a Noun
The state of being present
They acknowledge the presence of a famous singer during the party.
The test results showed that there was a presence of poison in the blood.
The ability to appear impressive to people
Dayanara has a head-turner stage presence during the competition.
His presence and looks on screen are better than in person.
Something that cannot be seen but is felt
The Smith family felt a sudden strange presence of a spirit in their attic.
After the air had become colder and drier, her deceased son’s presence seemed to fill his empty bedroom.
Presents vs. Presence: Which One to Use?
We can use presents and presence but under the proper contexts. Both are correct words, but they are different. While they have close spelling and pronunciation, they are used differently and can’t be used interchangeably. Presents is used as a noun and a verb, while presence is only used as a noun.
When we say presents, it means gifts. Meanwhile, presence typically refers to the act of being present in a particular place. To remember which one to use, associate the word presents with gifts, as both words have the letter “t.”
References:
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Presence. In https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presence
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Present. In https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/present
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. (n.d.). Presence. In https://www.ldoceonline.com/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/honor
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. (n.d.). Present. In https://www.ldoceonline.com/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/presence
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Presence. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presence
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Present. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/present
