MAQUILO'S BLOG: USES OF THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Friday, March 2, 2018

USES OF THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Hi my dear students of 8th grade.
Copy and learn well this information about the uses of simple present tense.

USES OF SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

1. Facts (something is generally known to be true).

The sun sets in the west.

The sun never sets in the east or south or north, but always in the west.

Exercise:

Hamlet (be) a play by Shakespeare.
Mount Everest (reach) a height of 8848 metres.
Water (boil) at 100°C.

2. Action in the present taking place once, never or several times.

Colin plays football regularly - every Tuesday. In English,

signal words are often used.

Colin always plays soccer on Tuesdays.

e.g.: always, never, seldom, often, regularly, every Monday.

Exercise:

You never (arrive) on time.
I seldom (go) to the zoo.
Francis occasionally (drink) coffee.

3. Actions in the present taking place one after another.

First one action takes place and then the other.

Ex: She takes her bag and leaves.

Exercise:

Janine (leave) the house and (lock) the door. Then She (go) to the bus stop. When the bus (arrive) , she (get on) the bus and (go) to work.

4. Action set by a time table or schedule.

The train leaves at 9 pm.

Although the action takes place in the future, it takes place regularly and is set by a time table.

Exercise:

The plane (arrive) in London at 11:45.
The lesson (start) in five minutes.
The film (begin) at 8 o'clock.

5. verbs expressing states, possession, senses, emotions and mental activity

I love her.

Exercise:

I (like) pizza.
He (hate) garlic.
My sister (prefer) tea to coffee.

When you love someone, that's a state, a fact or emotion, but not an action (like running for example). Whenever you want to express a state, possession, sense or emotions, use the simple form (not the progressive). The following words all belong to this group: