Present Tense

Present Tense

A. Meaning Simple Present:

1)The simple present tense is used to describe an action or an idea that is always true, such as scientific facts and physical laws.

a)Water consist of hydrogen and oxygen.

b)The average person breaths 21.600 a day.

c)The world is round.

These are facts that were, are and always will be true, unless scientists discover otherwise.

2)You can also use simple present to describe something that happens habitually. This means that you can use adverbs such as always, usually, often, sometimes ,never, etc.If you feel uncertain whether you should use the simple present tense or not, ask yourself if you can add one of these adverbs and the sentence still makes sense.

Americans (often) work very hard.

Mary (sometimes) drinks wine with dinner.

The teacher (always) gives a lot of homework.

Nurses (usually) wear white uniforms.

There are many verbs that usually cannot be in the simple present tense:

a) I decide to go to school.

Do you usually decide to go to school? No. a decision is usually made in a moment. It starts and ends very quickly. So you should say “I have decided to go to school” or “I decided to go to school”.

b) Dan becomes a good student.

Can someone usually become a good student? Become means to change from one thing to another, and the change usually happens in a moment. So again, you should say “Dan has become a good student” or “Dan became a good student”.

B.Form

1.Affirmative Statements: Subject + Verb.

Add (s) or (es)to the verb when is in third person singular.Use the base form of the verb.

I work, You work, He-she-it works, We work, They work.

2.Negative Statements: Subject + Do/ Does + Not + Verb.

I do not work,You don´t work,He/She/it does not work,We/They do not work.

3.Questions: Do/Does + Subject + Verb.

Do I work?,Do you work?, Does he/she/it work?, Do we work?,Do they work?.

Present Continuous

FORM

[am/is/are + present participle]

Examples:You are watching TV,Are you watching TV?,You are not watching TV.

Use of Present Continuos.

1) Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, Example: You are learning English now.

2) Longer Actions in Progress Now. Example: am studying to become a doctor.

3) Near Future: I am meeting some friends after work.

4) Repetition and Irritation with "Always". Example: She is always coming to class late.

Remember

· *Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs: She is loving this chocolate ice cream. Not Correct

· She loves this chocolate ice cream. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

· You are still watching TV.

· Are you still watching TV?.