Can I say "show up" instead of "present"? What's the difference between those two?

Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
No, you can't use "show up" instead of "present" in this scenario. "Show up" means to arrive somewhere or to something. If Tom "showed up" at the Oscars, it means that he just attended the Oscars. "Present" in this scenario means to give a speech. Tom gave a speech (presented) at the Oscars. Ex: I don't want to present tonight. I want to show up and listen to the speeches. Ex: He gave a presentation on global warming. Ex: She presented at the Emmy's. Ex: Do you think he will show up?