Simple Present Tense (1)

The simple present tense 
is used when we speaks about habits, general fact, and time tables. However, just because something is true does not necessarily mean it takes the present simple tense, nor does something have to be occuring in the present moment in time for it to be in the simple present tense.

It is called the simple present tense because its basic form consists of one word only. It does not require an auxiliary verb to achieve its meaning.

Most verbs in the present simple tense are in the same form as the invinitive verb. However, if it is ini the third-person singular form, then it usually takes the ending – (e)s.

For Example:

I live in London (fact: I live permanently in London)

Hans comes from berlin. (fact: Hans is originally form berlin)

Mary has breakfast every morning. (habits)

Now let’s see how the form and meaning of the verbs change if we add the auxiliary verb “be”.

I am living in london. (still a fact, but it now highlights that I am only living in london temporarily. This wasn’t always case, and it might change in the future). This is example of present continuous tense.

Hans is coming from berlin. (Hans is currently travelling from Berlin). This is example of present continuous tense.

Mary is having breakfast. ( Mary is currently in the process of eating breakfast) This is example of present continuous tense.

As you can see, their meaning is altered in comparison to those in the simple present tense.

Simple present tense can also be used for future events that are fixed to happen, such as time tables.

For example:

The train leaves at 7 PM.

This is a fixed timetable where the simple present tense is used to indicated a future event. We can also say “we leave for Berlin tomorrow at 7 PM. As the speaker sees this as a fixed event similiar to a time tables. Normally we use stative verb (also called state verbs) to express a fact.

Here are some examples of common stative verbs.

               Like

               Dislike

               Love

               Enjoy

               Hate

               Have

               Know

               Need

               Want

               Seem

Of course, some action verbs (also called dynamic verbs) used for habits can also be seen as a state or general truth.

For example:

I play tennis. (state/general truth)

I play tennis every week. (habit).

However,  verbs with a stative meaning cannot be used to indicate habit.

For example:

I know John (correct- state/fact) ✔

I know John every week (incorrect- can not be expressed as a habit) ✖

Some stative verbs can also function as action verbs in different contexts.                

I enjoy soup (stative verb which expresses a state/ fact)

I enjoy soup once in a while. (action verb which expresses a habit, enjoy in this sense means to actively consume)

We also use the present simple with the zero conditional, which means something in always true.

For example:

If you drop an egg, it breaks. (any egg will break if it is dropped).

Present simple can be used in a variety of sentence formation, such as positive, negative, interrogative, and negative interrogative. We’ll briefly explain each and provide examples with the simple present tense.

Positive sentences

Simply put, positive sentence indicate what is the case, as opposed to what is not. In the simple present tense, they look like this:

I jog every day.

He lives in Chicago.

Dogs bark, while cat meow. (third person plural)

Janet writes a song for living

Negative sentences

The opposite of the a positive sentence, a negative sentence describes what is not (or no longer) the case. We form these by adding the auxiliary verb do (or does in the third person singular) and the word not after the subject of the sentence. These can also be contracted to don’t or doesn’t.

For example:

I don’t jog every day.

He doesn’t in Chicago anymore.

Dogs don’t meaw and cats don’t bark.

Janet does not write many songs these days.  

Interrogative sentences         

Interrogative sentences ask a question. They are marked by the question mark punctuation (?) at the end instead of a period. Simple interrogative questions also use the auxiliary verb do (or does in the third-person singular), but before the subject instead of after. Generally speaking, it is uncommon to use a first person subject in an interrogative sentence in simple present tense.

For examples:

Do you jog avery day?

Does he still live in Chicago?

Do dogs bark, or do cats? (the second “bark” is implied)

Does Janet write songs anymore?

Negative Interrogative Sentences

Negative interrogative sentences also ask a question, but they imply that the speaker expects the answer to be (or believes the answer sholud be) “yes.” We form these by adding the auxiliary verb do/does before the subject of the sentences and the word not after the subject. Again these can be contracted to don’t or doesn’t, if they are, the contration comes before the subject.

Do you not jog every day?

Does he not still live in Chicago?

Don’t dogs normally bark?

Doesn’t Janet write songs for a living?

Unlike the interrogative sentences, negative interrogative sentences are much more likely to be used in the first-person, with do and not typically contracted:

For example:

Don’t I look good in this dress?

Quiz

Which  of the   following sentences is not in the present simple tense?

a)      “I walk home each day.”

b)      “He always reads good books.”

c)      “She will talk to her mother at 5 0’clock.”      

d)      “I go jogging    every   morning.”

The following sentence is in simple present tense. What kind of sentences is it?.

Does he not have a car of his own?

a)      Interrogative     sentence.

b)      Positive            interrogative     sentence.

c)      Negative           sentence.

d)      Negative           interrogative     sentence.

What kind of verb (usually) can not be used to indicate habit?

a)      Stative verbs b) action verb c) passive verb d) sense verb

    Which of the following  sentences is in the present simple tense?

a)      “We are leaving tomorrow on the 10 AM bus.”

b)      “We will leave tomorrow on the 10 AM bus.”

c)      “We leave tomorrow on the 10 AM bus.”

d)      “We are going to leave tomorrow on the 10 AM bus.”

Reference:

Hering, Peter. 2016.  The Farlex Grammar Book: Complete English Grammar Rules:

FARLEX International