Simple Present Tense
How do we make the Simple Present Tense?
Structure : subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
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?
How do we use the Simple Present Tense?
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
Examples :
1. John drives a taxi.
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 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.
(The situation is now.)
I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.
(The situation is general. Past, present and future.)
How do we make the Simple Present Tense?
Structure : subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
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?
How do we use the Simple Present Tense?
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
Examples :
1. John drives a taxi.
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 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.
(The situation is now.)
I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.
(The situation is general. Past, present and future.)
