Simple Present Tense

Introduction

The simple present tense is one of the most common tenses in English. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense with regular verbs.

The present tense is a grammatical tense whose principal function is to locate a situation or event in present time.^[1] The term "present tense" is usually used in descriptions of specific languages to refer to a particular grammatical form or set of forms; these may have a variety of uses, not all of which will necessarily refer to present time. For example, in the English sentence My train leaves tomorrow morning, the verb form leaves is said to be in the present tense, even though in this particular context it refers to an event in future time. Similarly, in the historical present, the present tense is used to narrate events that occurred in the past.

1. Forming the simple present tense

There are only two basic forms for the simple present tense; one ends with -s and the other doesn't. Here are the rules, using the example verb "sing":

Subject	Verb Form	Example
I	simple form	I sing
You	simple form	You sing
He	simple form + S	He sings
She	simple form + S	She sings
It	simple form + S	It sings
We	simple form	We sing
They	simple form	They sing

In other words, only THIRD PERSON SINGULAR subjects (he, she and it) have to have a verb with -S.

2. -s or -es ?

With most verbs, the third person singular form is created simply by adding -S. However, with some verbs, you need to add -ES or change the ending a little. Here are the rules:

Verb ending in...	How to make the 3rd person singular	Example
s	Add -ES	He passes
z	Add -ES	She waltzes
sh	Add -ES	She wishes
ch	Add -ES	He watches
x	Add -ES	She mixes
o	Add -ES	He goes
consonant + y	Change Y to I, then add -ES	It flies
[anything else]	Add -S	He sings

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

Referensi:

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/StudyZone/330/grammar/pres.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present_tense

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