Simple Present Tense
Form of
simple Present Tense :
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
do base
Three important exceptions in Simple Present
Tense:
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.
Examples with the main verb :
|
|
subject
|
auxiliary verb
|
|
main verb
|
|
|
+
|
I, you, we, they
|
|
|
like
|
chocolate.
|
|
He, she, it
|
|
|
likes
|
chocolate.
|
|
|
-
|
I, you, we, they
|
do
|
not
|
like
|
chocolate.
|
|
He, she, it
|
does
|
not
|
like
|
chocolate.
|
|
|
?
|
Do
|
I, you, we, they
|
|
like
|
chocolate?
|
|
Does
|
he, she, it
|
|
like
|
chocolate?
|
Examples with the main verb be. There is no auxiliary:
|
|
subject
|
main verb
|
|
|
|
+
|
I
|
am
|
|
Javanese.
|
|
You, we, they
|
are
|
|
Javanese.
|
|
|
He, she, it
|
is
|
|
Javanese.
|
|
|
-
|
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?
|
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
|
Sullivan drives a taxi.
|
||
|
past
|
present
|
future
|
|
It is
John's job to drive a taxi. He does
it every day. Past,
present and future.
|
||
The Examples:
·
George speaks
English every day.
·
They watch TV
every evening.
·
My
girlfriend writes a letter to me every week.
·
Michelle and Owen study grammar on Wednesdays.
·
My father
usually leaves home at 8 o’clock in the morning.
·
They don’t
have breakfast every morning.
·
I don’t get
up early on holydays.
·
He doesn’t want to go to school
this morning.
·
Do you watch
TV every evening?
·
Does your mother cook rice every morning?
·
Does your
boyfriend call you every evening?
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 talk about now.
|
Am I right?
Tara
is not at school. Are you sad?
|
||
|
past
|
present
|
future
|
|
The situation is now.
|
||
|
I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Charlie is tall.
|
||
|
past
|
present
|
future
|
|
The situation is
general. Past, present and future.
|
||
