PRESENT TENSE

WHAT IS PRESENT TENSE?

I do

past now future

I go to work every day.

It is my habit to go to work. I do it every day.
Past, now / present and future.

 The present simple tense (also called the simple present) is used to express
habits, facts, and timetables.
 The present simple is used to make simple statements of fact, to talk about
things that happen repeatedly, and to describe something always true.
Conclusion
It refers to an action that occurs at regular intervals.
E.g., I go to work every day.
It is used in stating general truths.
E.g. The sun rises in the East.
It can use for future scheduled events such as plane arrivals & departures, classes,
and so on. You can not do this for most future actions; you can only do it for
activities that are scheduled.
E.g., The train leaves at 9:30 tomorrow morning.
It is used when referring to printed material, describing events portrayed in a
book, film, or other work of art.
E.g., At the end of the novel, the actor lives happily.
HOW TO FORM
Base
Do / does + not Subject Do / does + not Rest of sentence
form
- I / You / We / They - work at 11am.
- He / she / it - works at 11am.
- I / You / We / They do not work at 11am.
- He / she / it does not work at 11am.
Do I / You / We / They - work at 11am?
Does He / she / it - work at 11am?

COMMON MISTAKES FORMING THE PRESENT SIMPLE

When the present simple is used with “he,” “she,” “it,” or one person’s name, it
always ends in “-s” or “-es.”
√ He starts work at 11 am.
× He start work at 11 am.
There is no need to add the auxiliary verb “do” when forming the present simple.
It is only used to create questions and negatives.
√ I eat lunch at noon every day.
× I do eat lunch at noon every day.
The main verb in a negative sentence always stays in its base form, even if the
subject is “he,” she,” or “it.
√ He does not work at 11 am.
× He does not works at 11 am.
Never add “-s” or “-es” to the base form of the verb when asking a question, even
in the third. Person singular (he, she, or it).
√ Does she work at 11 am?
× Does she works at 11 am?

REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDED READING

 Azar, B. S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall
Regents.
 Azar, B. S. (2003). Fundamentals of English Grammar: Chart Book: a
Reference Grammar. White Plains, NY: Longman.
 Azar, B. S., & Hagen, S. A. (2009). Understanding and using English
grammar: Workbook. White Plains, N.Y.: Pearson Longman.
 Ansell, M. (2000). Free English Grammar Second Edition.
 Barduhn, S., & Hall, D. (2016). English for Everyone–English Grammar
Guide. New York: DK Publishing.
 Murphy, R., Smalzer, W. R., & Nguyễn, T. T. (2000). Grammar in Use:
Intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 Murphy, R., & Čhakramāt, S. (2002). Essential grammar in use (Vol. 20010).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.