present tense

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1. Simple Present Tense Simple Present Form = VERB(s)

Max plays tennis every weekend. Max goes to work at 9 o'clock. Todd usually eats pizza for breakfast. The simple present is used to express that something happens or someone does some thing habitually or on a regular basis.

Water boils at 212째 Fahrenheit. The Earth orbits the Sun. The Earth isflat*. The simple present is also used to express factual information.

The movie starts in twenty minutes. Max's plane leaves at 9:00. The simple present with future expressions can be used to express future events.

This guy goes into a bar and says the bartender... The simple present can be used to narrate events that took place in the past or to narrate stories.

Max appears happy. Mary seems nice. I think that Mary is nice. Joe likes pizza. The simple present is used to express present conditions or states with stative and perception verbs. How do we make the Simple Present Tense? subject

+

auxiliary verb do

+

main verb base

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There are three important exceptions:

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary. 2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.

3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.

Look at these examples with the main verb like: subject +

-

?

auxiliary verb

main verb

I, you, we, they

like

coffee.

He, she, it

likes

coffee.

I, you, we, they

do

not

like

coffee.

He, she, it

does

not

like

coffee.

Do

I, you, we, they

like

coffee?

Does

he, she, it

like

coffee?

Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:

+

-

?

subject

main verb

I

am

French.

You, we, they

are

French.

He, she, it

is

French.

I

am

not

old.

You, we, they

are

not

old.

He, she, it

is

not

old.

Am

I

late?

Are

you, we, they

late?

Is

he, she, it

late?

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How do we use the Simple Present Tense? We use the Simple Present when we talk about something which happens repeatedly.

We use the Simple Present to describe a series of actions in the present.

Simple present is also called present simple. When to use Simple Present? We use the simple present tense when: • • • •

the action is general the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future the action is not only happening now the statement is always true John drives a taxi. past

present

future

It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and future. Look at these examples: • • • • • •

I live in New York. The Moon goes round the Earth. John drives a taxi. He does not drive a bus. We do not work at night. Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple present tense to

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talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb "to be" in the simple present tense - some of them are general, some of them are now: Am I right? Tara is not at home. You are happy. past

present

future

The situation is now.

I am not fat. Why are you so beautiful? Ram is tall. past

present

future

The situation is general. Past, present and future.

The simple present expresses an action in the present taking place once, never or several times. It is also used for actions that take place one after another and for actions that are set by a timetable or schedule. The simple present also expresses facts in the present.

English Made Easy: Tips This page shows the use of the simple present tense to talk about general events. Note that there are some other uses for the simple present tense, for example in conditional or if sentences, or to talk about the future. You will learn about those later. be Use:

• •

am with the personal pronoun II

are with the personal pronouns we, you or they (or with the plural form of nouns)

example: I am hungry.

is with the personal pronouns he, she or it (or with the singular form of nouns)

affirmative

negative

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I

I am.

I am not.

Am I?

he/she/it

He is.

He is not.

Is he?

you/we/they

You are.

You are not.

Are you?

have Use:

have with the personal pronouns I, you, we und they (or with the plural form of nouns)

has with the personal pronouns he, she, it (or with the singular form of nouns)

example: I have a dog. / I have got a dog.

'have got' is mainly used in British English. You can also use 'have' on its own (especially in American English). In this case, however, you must form negative sentences and questions with the auxiliary verb 'do' (see 'All other verbs'). positive

I/you/ we/they

he/she/it

I have got. / I have.

negative

question

I have not got. / I Have I got? / Do I do not have. have?

He has got. / He He has not got. / Has he got? / Does has. He does not have. he have?

All other verbs Use: 

the infinite verb (play) with the personal pronouns I, you, we and they (or with the plural form of nouns)

the verb + s (plays) with the personal pronouns he, she, it (or with the singular form of nouns) affirmative

negative

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I/you/we/ they

I play.

I do not play.

Do I play?

he/she/it

He plays.

He does not play. Does he play?

Tips on how to form negative sentences and questions Negative sentences and questions are formed with the auxiliary verb 'do'. The 3rd person singular of 'do' is 'does'. This means that in negative sentences and questions the 's' of the main verb is placed behind 'do'. Use 1) repeated actions My friend often draws nice posters. 2) things in general The sun rises in the East. 3) fixed arrangements, scheduled events The plane flies to London every Monday. 4) actions in the present - one follows after the other First I get up, then I have breakfast. 5) instructions Open your books at page 34. 6) with special verbs I understand English. Signal words every day, often, always, sometimes, never, normally, seldom, usually If Clause Type I (If I talk, … Form: 3rd person singular he, she, it: infinitive + -s Form of Simple Present 

P: He speaks.

N: He does not speak.

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Q: Does he speak?



Examples Affirmative sentences: I read books.

My brother reads books.

We sing pop songs.

She sings pop songs.

I play handball.

John plays handball.

Negative sentences: You must not negate a full verb in English. Always use the auxiliary do for negations. I I

don't

like

computers.

like

computers at all.

My friend My mum

doesn't

likes

computers.

like

computers at all.

Questions: Use the auxiliary do. Do you play football? Does he play football? Special verbs in the Simple Present 1) have as a full verb affirmative sentence

negative sentence

question

I do not have a book.

Do I have a book?

He does not have a book.

Does he have a book?

I, we, you, they: I have a book. he, she, it: He has a book. 2) be as a full verb affirmative sentence

negative sentence

question

I am from Britain.

I am not from Britain.

Am I from Britain?

He is not from Britain.

Is he from Britain?

he, she, it: He is from Britain.

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we, you, they: We are from Britain.

We are not from Britain.

Are we from Britain?

We often use the short forms with this verb. 3) do as a full verb affirmative sentence

negative sentence

question

I do not do an exercise.

Do I do an exercise?

He does not do an exercise.

Does he do an exercise?

I, we, you, they: I do an exercise. he, she, it: He does an exercise.

4) modal auxiliaries can, could, may, must, need, will etc. affirmative sentence

negative sentence

question

every time regardless the subject (I, he, she, it, we, you, they): I can play tennis.

I cannot play tennis.

Can I play tennis?

Simple Present - Exceptions in Spelling The 3rd person singular is usually formed by adding s. But there are a few exceptions to the rule: The verbs can, may, might, must remain the same in all forms. So don't add s. example: he can, she may, it must Verbs ending in o or a sibilant (ch, sh, s, x) add es instead of s. example: do - he does, wash - she washes A final y after a consonant becomes i.e. before s. example: worry - he worries But: A final y after a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) is not modified. example: play - he plays Simple Present - Use facts (something is generally known to be true)

The sun never sets in the east or south or north, but alway The sun sets in the west. in the west.

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action in the present taking place once, never or several times Colin plays football regularly - every Tuesday. Colin always plays soccer on Tuesdays.

In English, signal words are often used, e.g.: always never, seldom, often, regularly, every Monday.

actions in the present taking place one after another She takes her bag and leaves.

First one action takes place and then the other.

action set by a time table or schedule The train leaves at 9 pm.

Although the action takes place in the future, it takes place regularly and is set by a time table.

verbs expressing states, possession, senses, emotions and mental activity

When you love someone, that's a state, a fact or emotion, but not an actio I love her. (like ‘running’ for example). Whenever you want to express a state, possession, sense or emotions, use the simple form (not the progressive). The following words all belong to this group: 

be (state)

believe (mental activity)

belong (possession)

hate (feeling and emotion)

hear (senses)

like (feeling and emotion)

love (feeling and emotion)

mean (mental activity)

prefer (mental activity)

remain (state)

realize (mental activity)

see (senses)

seem (feeling and emotion)

smell (senses)

think (mental activity)

understand (mental activity)

want (feeling and emotion)

wish (feeling and emotion)

SUMMARY Use action in the present taking place once, never or

Example Colin always plays soccer on

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several times

Tuesdays.

actions in the present taking place one after another

She takes her bag and leaves.

facts (something is generally known to be true)

The sun sets in the west.

action set by a timetable or schedule

The train leaves at 9 pm.

verbs of possession, senses, emotions and mental activity

I love her.

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