English Grammar Rules: Simple Present Tense
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| English Grammar Rules Simple Present Tense |
English Grammar Rules: Simple Present Tense
We used the simple present tense to describe an action that is regular, true or normal.
1. For regular actions or repeated in the present time period.
Bruce sleeps eight hours every night during the week.
2. For facts.
A cat has four legs.
3. For habits.
I get up early every day.
4.The things that are always / generally true.
They speak English at work.
Verb Conjugation & Spelling:
We using the base form of the infinitive without the "TO" in present tense.
Add 'S' in the third person in general.
Subject Verb The Rest of the sentence
I / you / we / they speak / learn Arabic at home
he / she / it speaks / learns Arabic at home
NOTE: The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb:
1. For verbs that end in -CH, -O, -SS, -SH, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person.
go – goes
catch – catches
wash – washes
kiss – kisses
fix – fixes
buzz – buzzes
2. The verbs that end in a consonant Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.
marry – marries
study – studies
carry – carries
worry – worries
3. The verbs that end in a vowel Y, we just add -S.
play – plays
enjoy – enjoys
say – says
Negative Sentences in the Simple Present Tense:
We make a negative sentence in English, we use "Doesn't"or "Don't" EXCEPT To Be and Modal verbs (should might, can, etc.).
Affirmative: You speak French.
Negative: You don't speak French.
We use Don't when the subject is I, we, you or they, and you will see that we add don't between the subject and the verb.
Affirmative: He speaks German.
Negative: He doesn't speak German.
When the subject is she, he, or it, we add doesn't between the subject and the verb to make a negative sentence. Pay attention that the letter 'S' at the end of the verb in the affirmative sentence (because it is in third person) disappears in the negative sentence. We will see the reason why below.
Negative Contractions:
Don't = Do not
Doesn't = Does not
I don't like rice = I do not like rice.
We normally use contractions in spoken English, and There is no difference in meaning.
Word Order of Negative Sentences:
The Present Tense using Don't or Doesn't, the following is the word order to construct a basic negative sentence in English
Subject don't/doesn't Verb* The Rest of the sentence
I / you / don't have
we / they eat / like etc. cereal for breakfast
he / she / it doesn't
- [message]
- ##check## Notice:
- Verb* The verb that goes here is the base form of the infinitive = The infinitive without TO before the verb. Instead the infinitive To have it is just the have part.
- [message]
- ##check## Notice:
- That the infinitive is the verb before it is conjugated (changed) and it begins with TO. For example: to to eat, have, to go, to speak; to live, etc.
You don't speak Arabic.
John doesn't speak Italian.
Questions in the Simple Present Tense:
We normally use "Does" or "Do". At the beginning of the question when we make a question in English
Affirmative: You speak English.
Question: Do you speak English?
We use Do when the subject is I, we, you or they and you will see that we add DO at the beginning of the affirmative sentence to make it a question.
Affirmative: He speaks French.
Question: Does he speak French?
When the subject is she, he or it, we add 'DOES' at the beginning to make the affirmative sentence a question. The letter 'S' at the end of the verb in the affirmative sentence (because it is in third person) remove in the question. We will see the reason why below.
We DON'T use Does or Do in questions that have the verb To Be or Modal Verbs (can, should, might, must etc.)
Word Order of Questions with Do and Does:
The following is the word order to construct a basic question in English using Does or Do.
Do/Does Subject Verb* The Rest of the sentence
Do I / you have / need
we / they want etc. a new bike?
Does he / she / it
Notice: *Verb: The verb that goes here is the base form of the infinitive = The infinitive without TO before the verb. Instead the infinitive To have it is just the have part.
Remember: The infinitive is the verb before it is conjugated (changed) and it begins with TO. For example: to eat, to have, to live, to go, to speak etc.
Examples of Questions with Do and Does:
Do you need a dictionary?
Does Mary need a dictionary?
Short Answers with Do and Does:
In questions that use DOES/DO it is possible to give short answers to direct questions as follows:
Sample Questions Short Answer(Affirmative) Short Answer(Negative)
Do you like chocolate? Yes, I do. No, I don't.
Do I need a pencil? Yes, you do. No, you don't.
Do you both like chocolate? Yes, we do. No, we don't.
Do they like chocolate? Yes, they do. No, they don't.
Does he like chocolate? Yes, he does. No, he doesn't.
Does she like chocolate? Yes, she does. No, she doesn't.
Does it have four wheels? Yes, it does. No, it doesn't.
However, if a question word such as when, who, why, where, which or how is used in the question, you can not use the short answers above to respond to the question.
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