Present Simple Tense describes actions in the present that take place once, never or several times and repeatedly or habitually, actions related to schedules and timetables as well as well-known facts and general truths. We use it when giving directions and instructions or when we talk about travel plans as well as when we express feelings with verbs such as like, hate, love. The words that often go with Present Simple Tense (signal words) are: always, never, sometimes, rarely, normally etc. Study the following: The Earth isn’t flat rather than The Eart isn’t being flat.
Formation
To form the Present Simple Tense we use the verb’s base form as given in a dictionary without the preposition to and remember to add -s/-es in 3rd person singular (i.e. he, she, it). E.g. I eat but he eats. Auxiliary verbs be, do and have can be used as main verbs in the Present Simple Tense but they’re exceptions and their declination looks different (she is, she does, she has).
How to form the 3rd person singular in the Present Simple Tense?
If the verb ends in –ss, -ch, -sch, -o or –x we add –es to the base form e.g watch-watches, mix-mixes
If the verb ends in consonant followed by –y we change y into –i and add –es e.g. study-studies, vary-varies
Different types of sentences
· Affirmative form
I study, you study, he/she/it studies, we study, you study, they study
· Negative form
Do not = don’t & does not = doesn’tI don’t study, you don’t study, he/she/it doesn’t study/we don’t study, you don’t study, they don’t study
· Interrogative form
Do I study?, Do you study?, Does he/she/it study?, Do we study? Do you study?, Do they study?· Questions and short answers
Do you like it? – Yes, I do/No I don’tDoes he like it? – Yes, he does/No, he doesn’t
Examples from today’s news
The following examples of sentences come from http://www.bbc.co.uk and were taken out of actual articles. The underlined clauses are in the Present Simple Tense:
President Obama leads the US in a silent tribute to six people killed in a shooting in Arizona.
Labour leader Ed Miliband urges the government to extend the tax on bankers’ bonuses.
The government argues that the militant group has been seriously weakened by the arrest of most of its key leadership in recent years.
The project represents the culmination of five years of political and diplomatic negotiation at the highest level and it is anticipated the giant pandas will arrive in their new home as soon as a date is agreed.
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