ISL M5

Simple Present

FORM

[VERB] + s/es in third person

Examples:

You speak English.

Do you speak English?

You do not speak English.

Complete List of Simple Present Forms

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The

action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that

often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not

do.

Examples:

I  play tennis.

She does not play tennis.

Does he play tennis?

The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.

The train does not leave at 9 AM.

When does the train usually leave?

She always forgets her purse.

He never forgets his wallet.

Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.

Does the Sun circle the Earth?

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true

before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is

correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.

Examples:

Cats like milk.

Birds do not like milk.

Do pigs like milk?

California is in America.

California is not in the United Kingdom.

Windows are made of glass.

Windows are not made of wood.

New York is a small city. IT IS NOT IMPORTANT THAT THIS FACT IS UNTRUE.

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the

near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation,

but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.

Examples:

The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.

When do we board the plane?

The party starts at 8 o'clock.

When does class begin tomorrow?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is

happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous

Verbsand certain Mixed Verbs.

Examples:

I  am here now.

She is not here now.

He needs help right now.

He does not need help now.

He has his passport in his hand.

Do you have your passport with you?

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always,

only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You only speak English.

Do you only speak English?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

Once a week, Tom cleans the car. ACTIVE

Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. PASSIVE

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepresent.html

Present Simple Tense

I sing

How do we make the Present Simple Tense?

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

    do   base

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 Present Simple Tense?

We use the present simple 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 meet every Thursday.

We do not work at night.

Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the present simple tense for situations

that are not general. We can use the present simple tense to talk about now. Look at

these examples of the verb "to be" in the present simple 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.

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present.htm

Simple Present TenseIn Simple Present, the action is simply mentioned and there is nothing being said about its

completeness. It is used to talk about an action which happens on a regular basis.

 POSITIVE STATEMENTS 

SUBJECT VERB REST OF THE SENTENCE

I study in Bal Bharti school.

You study in Bal Bharti school.

He studies in Bal Bharti school.

Mohan studies in Bal Bharti school.

The boy studies in Bal Bharti school.

She studies in Bal Bharti school.

Pooja studies in Bal Bharti school.

The girl studies in Bal Bharti school.

We study in Bal Bharti school.

You study in Bal Bharti school.

They study in Bal Bharti school.

The children study in Bal Bharti school.

 Notice how we use ‘study’ for the subjects I, You, We, You and They and we use ‘studies’ for the subjects ‘He’ and ‘She’.Simple Present Exercise 1Simple Present Exercise 2Simple Present Exercise 3NEGATIVE STATEMENTS 

SUBJECTDON’T (DO NOT) / DOESN’T (DOES

NOT)VERB REST OF THE SENTENCE

I don’t play football.

You don’t play football.

He doesn’t play football.

Mohan doesn’t play football.

The boy doesn’t play football.

She doesn’t play football.

Pooja doesn’t play football.

The girl doesn’t play football.

We don’t play football.

You don’t play football.

They don’t play football.

The men don’t play football.

 Notice how we use ‘don’t’ for the subjects I, You, We, You and Theyand we use ‘doesn’t’ for the subjects ‘He’ and ‘She’. The verb form remains the same for all subjects. INTERROGATIVE STATEMENTS / QUESTIONS 

DO / DOES SUBJECT VERB REST OF THE SENTENCE

Do I sleep in the afternoon?

Do you sleep in the afternoon?

Does he sleep in the afternoon?

Does Mohan sleep in the afternoon?

Does the boy sleep in the afternoon?

Does she sleep in the afternoon?

Does Pooja sleep in the afternoon?

Does the girl sleep in the afternoon?

Do we sleep in the afternoon?

Do you sleep in the afternoon?

Do they sleep in the afternoon?

Do the men sleep in the afternoon?

 Notice how we use ‘Do’ for the subjects I, You, We, You and Theyand we use ‘Does’ for the subjects ‘He’ and ‘She’. The verb form remains the same for all subjects.

http://www.englishleap.com/grammar/simple-present-tense

Verb Tenses: Simple Present

SIMPLE PRESENT

(See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present')

Simple present, third person singular

Note:

1. he, she, it: in the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:

he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.

2. Negative and question forms use DOES (=the third person of the

auxiliary'DO') +the infinitive of the verb.

He wants. Does he want? He does not want.

3. Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:

fly   flies, cry   cries

Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:

play   plays, pray   prays

4. Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:

he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present', and 'Be, do & have'

Examples:

1. Third person singular with s or -es

He goes to school every morning.

She understands English.

It mixes the sand and the water.

He tries very hard.

She enjoys playing the piano.

2. Simple present, form

Example: to think, present simple

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I think Do I think ? I do not think.

You think Do you think? You don't think.

he, she, it thinks Does he, she, it think? He, she, it doesn't think.

we think Do we think? We don't think.

you think Do you think? You don't think.

The simple present is used:

1. to express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations,

emotions and wishes:

I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city

(general truth)

2. to give instructions or directions:

You walk for two hundred metres, then you turn left.

3. to express fixed arrangements, present or future:

Your exam starts at 09.00

4. to express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as

soon as, until:

He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

BE CAREFUL! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now. See Present Continuous.

Examples:

1. For habits

He drinks tea at breakfast.

She only eats fish.

They watch television regularly.

2. For repeated actions or events

We catch the bus every morning.

It rains every afternoon in the hot season.

They drive to Monaco every summer.

3. For general truths

Water freezes at zero degrees.

The Earth revolves around the Sun.

Her mother is Peruvian.

4. For instructions or directions

Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.

You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.

5. For fixed arrangements

His mother arrives tomorrow.

Our holiday starts on the 26th March

6. With future constructions

She'll see you before she leaves.

We'll give it to her when she arrives.

http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/present_simple.php

PROGRESSIVE TENSES 

A. Present progressive = am  + (base form + -ing) :  I am working.  OR is + (base form + -ing) : She is eating. OR  are + (base form + -ing) :  We are studying.

1. A planned activity.            Sofia is starting school at CEC tomorrow2. An activity that is occurring right now.            Jan is watching TV right now.3. An activity that is in progress, although not actually occurring at the time of speaking.            Sara is learning English at CEC.

 B. Past progressive = was  + (base form + -ing) : I was working.  OR were + (base form + -ing) : They were eating.

1. A past activity in progress while  another activity occurred.            At 6:00 yesterday I was eating dinner.            The phone rang while I was eating.2. Two past activities in progress at the same time.            While I was answering the phone, my wife was cooking dinner.

 C. Future progressive = will be + (base form + -ing): I will be working. He will be eating.

 An activity that will be in progress.            Tomorrow Sam will be studying for the test on Unit 1.

 D. Present perfect progressive = have + (base form + -ing): I have been working.  OR has + (base form + -ing): She has been eating. 

1. This tense emphasizes the duration of an activity that began in the past and continues into the present.  It often uses time words or phrases. It may be used to refer to continuing activity that is recent.            He has been painting houses all summer.            I’ve been studying English for 2 years.2. It may be used to refer to continuing activity that is recent.            He has been going to school at CEC.

 E. Past perfect progressive  = had + (base form + -ing) : I had been working. He had been eating.

             When the teacher arrived, I had been waiting almost 10 minutes.            He was out of breath because he had been running to catch the bus.

 F. Future perfect progressive = will  have + (base form + -ing): I will have been working. She will have been eating.

This tense emphasizes the duration of a continuing activity in the future that ends before another activity or time in the future.

http://www.rong-chang.com/grammar/progressive_tenses.htm

Perfect Progressive Tense

The perfect progressive tense describes actions that repeated over a period of time in the past, are continuing in the present, and/or will continue in the future.

The present perfect progressive tense tells you about a continuous action that was initiated in the past and finished at some point in the past; however, the action has some relation to the present time. Use have/has + been + ing. 

It has been raining, and the street is still wet.

I have been running, and I am still tired.

She has been practicing the piano, and she is much better now.

The past perfect progressive tense illustrates a continuous action in the past that was completed before another past action. Use had + been + ing. 

It had been raining, and the street was still wet.

I had been running, and I was still tired.

She had been practicing the piano, and she had gotten much better.

The future perfect progressive tense indicates a continuous action that will be completed in the future. Use will + have + been + ing. 

By tonight, it will have been raining several hours, and the street will be very wet.

By next summer, I will have been running for almost a year, and I will be fit and healthy.

By the time of the concert, she will have been practicing the piano for several months, and she will be much better.

http://www.talkenglish.com/Grammar/perfect-progressive-tense.aspx

Progressive Tenses

The progressive tenses are the six tenses in English which show continuous or repeated actions. Sometimes the past progressive is called the imperfect.

The six progressive tenses correspond to the three basic and three perfect tenses. They are formed by the appropriate basic or perfect tense of the verb to be followed by the present participle.

Present Progressive: I am coming.

Past Progressive: I was coming.

Future Progressive: I will be coming.

Present Perfect Progressive: I have been coming.

Past Perfect Progressive: I had been coming.

Future Perfect Progressive: I will have been coming.

Present PerfectFORM

[has/have + past participle]

Examples:

You have seen that movie many times.

Have you seen that movie many times?

You have not seen that movie many times.

Complete List of Present Perfect Forms

USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

Examples:

I  have seen that movie twenty times.

I think I have met him once before.

There have been many earthquakes in California.

People have traveled to the Moon.

People have not traveled to Mars.

Have you read the book yet?

Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.

A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.

How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect?

The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to English learners. It is best to associate Present Perfect with the following topics:

TOPIC 1 Experience

You can use the Present Perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, "I have the experience of..." You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience. The Present Perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event.

Examples:

I  have been to France.THIS SENTENCE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN FRANCE. MAYBE YOU HAVE BEEN THERE ONCE, OR SEVERAL TIMES.

I  have been to France three times.YOU CAN ADD THE NUMBER OF TIMES AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE.

I  have never been to France.THIS SENTENCE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING TO FRANCE.

I think I have seen that movie before.

He has never traveled by train.

Joan has studied two foreign languages.

A: Have you ever met him?B: No, I have not met him.

TOPIC 2 Change Over Time

We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.

Examples:

You have grown since the last time I saw you.

The government has become more interested in arts education.

Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established.

My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.

TOPIC 3 Accomplishments

We often use the Present Perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot mention a specific time.

Examples:

Man has walked on the Moon.

Our son has learned how to read.

Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.

Scientists have split the atom.

TOPIC 4 An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting

We often use the Present Perfect to say that an action which we expected has not happened. Using the Present Perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to happen.

Examples:

James has not finished his homework yet.

Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.

Bill has still not arrived.

The rain hasn't stopped.

TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at Different Times

We also use the Present Perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present Perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible.

Examples:

The army has attacked that city five times.

I  have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.

We have had many major problems while working on this project.

She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.

Time Expressions with Present Perfect

When we use the Present Perfect it means that something has happened at some point in our lives before now. Remember, the exact time the action happened is not important.

Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for an experience. We can do this with expressions such as: in the last week, in the last year, this week, this month, so far, up to now, etc.

Examples:

Have you been to Mexico in the last year?

I  have seen that movie six times in the last month.

They have had three tests in the last week.

She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different companies so far.

My car has broken down three times this week.

NOTICE

"Last year" and "in the last year" are very different in meaning. "Last year" means the year before now, and it is considered a specific time which requires Simple Past. "In the last year" means from 365 days ago until now. It is not considered a specific time, so it requires Present Perfect.

Examples:

I  went to Mexico last year.I WENT TO MEXICO IN THE CALENDAR YEAR BEFORE THIS ONE.

I  have been to Mexico in the last year.I HAVE BEEN TO MEXICO AT LEAST ONCE AT SOME POINT BETWEEN 365 DAYS AGO AND NOW.

USE 2 Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Present Perfect to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the Present Perfect.

Examples:

I  have had a cold for two weeks.

She has been in England for six months.

Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl.

Although the above use of Present Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You have only seen that movie one time.

Have you only seen that movie one time?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

Many tourists have visited that castle. ACTIVE

That castle has been visited by many tourists. PASSIVE

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html

 The Present Perfect Tense - When to use 

1. We use the Present Perfect Tense to talk about experiences. It is important if we have done it in our lives or not. It is not important when we did it.

Examples    I have been abroad two times.    Anna has never broken a leg.    Have you ever eaten sushi?

Tip! We often use never and ever with the Present Perfect Tense to talk about experience.

2. We use the Present Perfect Tense to talk about an action which started in the past and continuous up to now.

Examples    I have been a teacher for more than ten years.    We haven't seen Janine since Friday.    How long have you been at this school?

Tip! We often use since and for to say how long the action has lasted.

3. We also use the Present Perfect Tense to talk about a past action that has the result in the present.

Examples    I have lost my wallet. = I don't have it now.    Jimmy has gone to South America. = He isn't here now.    Have you finished your homework? = Is your homework ready?

Tip! We often use just, already and yet with the Present Perfect Tense for an action in the past with the result in the present.