How do we make the Simple Present Tense?
| subject | + | auxiliary verb | + | main verb |
| | | do | | base |
There are three important exceptions:
- For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.
- For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.
- 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 | | Malaysian. |
| You, we, they | are | | Malaysian. | |
| He, she, it | is | | Malaysian. | |
| - | 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
Let listen and repeat with the video below
Learn English with the "Easy Way to English" textbook by Maureen Kill
Sometimes let the pupils see the video also can help them to remember .
QUIZ:
Simple Present Tense
| 1 | Do you chocolate milk? | |
| 2 | He not want to come to the movies. | |
| 3 | we too late to catch the bus? | |
| 4 | It a beautiful day today. | |
| 5 | Sorry, Lisa not here at the moment. | |
| 6 | I correct? | |
| 7 | Robert not go to my school. | |
| 8 | My parents in a 2 bedroom apartment. | |
| 9 | We European. | |
| 10 | You so happy today! |
