Other uses of the present tense

The present is also used:

1. To tell facts considered unquestionable or universal truths.
2. To describe a past event, making it more vivid. This is called the historical present.
3. To express hypothetical actions introduced by Si (If).
4. To refer to possible consequences from an action that took place in the past with Casi (Almost) and Por poco (Nearly).

Examples:

1. Dos más dos son cuatro. – Two plus two is four.
2. En 1969 el primer hombre llega a la luna. – The first man gets to the moon in 1969.
3. Si él llega, salimos. – If he arrives, we leave.
4. Agitó el cuchillo y casi me mata. – She waved the knife and nearly killed (kills) me.