Verb Tensenses - The Simple Present Tense.

In order to speak or write English, we need to know the rules of making sentences. You are new to English, or you have been learning it for long time, The grammar is aways along with you.

In this Post I would like to share with you the Simple Present tense.

The Simple Present Tense, in general, expresses events or situations that exist always, usually, habitually; they exist now, have existed in the past, and probably will exist in the future.

Example:

It snows in Alaska.

I watch television every day

The Usage:

1. The simple present says that something was true in the past, is true in the present, and will be true in the future.It is used for general statement of fact
   
   Example:
   
   Water consists fo hydrogen and oxygen.
   Most animals kill only for food.
   The world is round
   
2. The simple present is used to express habitual or everyday activity.
   
   Example:
   
   I study for two hours every night.
   My classes begin at nine
   He always eats a sandwich for lunch.
   
3. Certain verbs are not used in the progressive(continuous) tense. With these verbs, the simple present may indicate a situation that exists right now, at the moment of speaking.
   
   Example:
   
   I have only a dollar right now.
   I don't regconize that man.
   He needs a pen right now.

Nonprogressive Verbs:

Some verbs are nonprogressive verbs: they are not used in any of the progressive tenses. These verbs describe states (i.e., conditions that exists); they don't describe activities that are in progress. ex. Ali knows this grammar.

Common Nonprogressive Verbs:

1. MENTEL STATE:
   know - realise - understand - recognize - believe - feel - suppose - think* - imagine - doubt - remember - forget - want - need - prefer - mean
   
2. EMOTIONAL STATE:
   love - like - appreciate - hate - dislike - fear - envy - mind - care
   
3. POSSESSION
   possess - have* - own - belong
   
4. SENSE PERCEPTIONS:
   taste* - smell* - hear - feel* - see*
   
5. OTHER EXISTING STATE:
   seem - look* - appear* - cost - owe - weigh* - be* - exist - consist of - contain - include
   
   

* Verbs with asterisk are also commonly used as progressive verbs, with a difference in meaning, as in the following examples:

Nonprogressive (existing state) Progressive (Activity in progress)

think I think he is a kind man. I am thinking about this grammar.

have He has a car. I am having trouble. She is having a good time

taste This food tastes good. The chef is tasting the sauce.

smell These flowers smell good. Don is smelling the roses.

see I seea butterfly. Do you see it? The doctor is seeing a patient.

feel The cat's fur feels soft Sue is feeling the cat's fur.

look She looks cold. I'll lend her my coat. I am looking out the window.

appear He appears to be asleep. The actor is appearing on the stage.

weigh A piano is heavy. It weighs a lot The grocer is weighing the bananas.

be I am hungry Tom is being foolish**

** Compare

1. Bob is foolish = foolishness is one of Bob's usual characteristics.
2. Tom is being foolish = Right now, at the moment of speaking, Tom is doing something that the speaker considers foolish.
   
   The verb be(+ an adjective) is used in the progressive to describe a temporary characteristic. Very few adjectives are used with be in the progressive; some of the most common are : fooling, nice, kind, lazy, careful, patient, silly, rude, polite, impolite.
   

Subject and Verb Agreements.

In Simple Present tense, The subject and verb agreement will be as following:

Structure: Subject+ verb(-S/ES)

For the pronouns: I- You- We- They + Verb(ex: like)

Example: I/you/we/they like this this book.

For the pronouns: She- He - It

Example: She/He/It likes this book.

Verb+ ES: Cac dong tu tan cung bang: -sh, -ch,- ss, -x, - o as in verb Push, Watch, Miss, Fix, Go khi theo sau Subject She/He/It se them +ES

Have/Has : I/you/we/they have
She/He/It has