Present Indefinite Tense or Simple
We all know that the tense of a verb denotes the time of an action or event. And a verb that refers to the present time is ‘said’ to be in the present tense or simple present.
The following rule is used to form the present simple tense.
Subject + base form of the verb + object.
They\I\we go to school every day.
Point to be noted, if the subject is third-person singular number add an ‘s’ or ‘es’. For example:
- He likes playing football
- He goes to school every day.
The main use of simple present tense is to state an action that happens regularly and indicates the present time. Usages of the simple present tense.
- The simple present tense is used to express habitual actions:
- Cat’s meow. Nadia sings.
- To denote general truths:
- The sun rises in the east.
- Honey tastes sweet.
- We can use simple present tense for planned future programs or activities.
- The bus leaves at 5.30 pm.
- The football match begins at 10 o’clock.
- Some verbs cannot be used in the continuous form. We use present simple tense with these verbs. Some of these verbs are:
- Know, belief, understand, hate, love, hear, seem, taste, own, sound, wish, need, etc.
- To quote from books notices:
- Shakespeare says, “frailty, thy name is a woman.”
Present progressive (continuous)
The verb of the present continuous tense shows that the action is not complete or finished. That is, happening at the time of speaking.
Rule to form present progressive or continuous tense:
Subject + am\is\are + verb + ing….
- He is playing football.
- Nadia is singing.
- They are catching fish now.
Usages of present continuous tense:
- We can use present continuous tense for an action happening at the time of speaking.
- He is having lunch now
- They are playing hockey.
- Present continuous tense can be used for an action happening about this time but not necessarily at the time of speaking.
- I am reading Pride and Prejudice.
- Here, I am not reading the book at the time of speaking. I mean that I have started it, but I have yet to finish.
- It is used for a fixed plan shortly.
- I am meeting my love Nadia tonight.
- We are going to Canada tomorrow.
Point to be noted:
We can not use some verbs in the continuous form.
They are: seem, appear, have, hate, believe, hear, see, want, wish, sound, taste, own, know, understand, need.
- Get those words by heart.
Simple Present Tense
We use simple present tense to refer to our regular actions or habitual actions or sometimes fixed programs or facts which are true for all the time.
- He takes a shower every day (regular i.e habitual action)
- He drinks coffee every morning. (regular action)
- The sun rises in the east (true for all the time)
- Honey tastes sweet(truth)
- Our flight is at 8.00 pm tomorrow (fixed progress)
- Structure
Root form of the verb is used in present simple tense except in third person singular number (which ends in s/es)
The first-person singular- I play
The first-person plural- we play
Second-person singular- you play
Second-person plural-you play
Third-person singular- she/he plays
Third-person plural- they play
We use do\does to make questions and negative sentences
Example
I don’t play
He doesn’t play
They don’t play
We don’t play
You don’t play
Do we play cricket?
Does he play cricket?
Do we play cricket?
Do they play cricket?