Present simple tense

The present simple tense has several uses :-

1) It expresses a single act at the present time; as,

* Here comes Harry.

2) It expresses a habit or occupation, character or permanent action; as,

* Every day I get up at five o’clock.
* He drinks mile everyday morning.
* Mr. Smith is a farmer.
* The earth revolves around the sun.

3) It expresses universal truths; as,

* The sun sets in the west every evening.
* Honesty is the best policy.
* Man is mortal.

4) It is sometimes employed to describe past events and is then called the Historic Present as;

* Now the Trojans come down on the Greeks as wolf on the fold.

5) It sometimes used to express some future event; as:

* They fly to London next Sunday.
* He sails for Colombo next month.

**Rule 1:- The Present simple tense is formed by placing root verb after the subject.

Rule:- subject + root verb

Examples:

* I drink tea every morning and evening.
* We help our parents in domestic work.
* You always make a lot of noise in the class.
* They work in the field.
* Cattle graze in the meadow.
* Birds sing sweetly.
* Monsoon winds bring us rain.
* Children watch television three to four hours everyday.
* People moan about poverty as great evil.
* I always pity the sons and daughters of the rich man.
* Insurance companies exact fewer premiums from total abstainers than habitual drinkers.
* Tress give us food, clothing and shelter.
* Hens lay eggs.
* Donkeys and Camels carry load.
* Birds build nests for laying eggs.

** Rule 2:- If a subject is a third person singular then “s” is applied to some root verbs.

Rule:- He / She / it + root verb + “s”

Examples:

* Every day he walks to school.
* She cooks our food.
* It hurts me.
* Tom makes fine kites.
* Mary sings very sweetly.
* An Aircraft lands on the airport.
* Neil reads short stories.
* Peter eats an apple everyday.
* My mother prepares tea for us.
* Our dog bites the strangers only.
* The sun gives us heat and light.
* He suffers badly from indigestion.
* She makes all kinds of snacks.
* She eats a lot of peanuts everyday.
* He chews food well before swallowing it.
* She likes black coffee.
* He makes several business visits to New York every month.

** Rule 3:- If a root verb ends in ch, sh, o, s or x then “es” in applied to such a a verb when the subject is a third person singular.

A third person subject (He/she/it) + a root verb ending in either ch, sh, o, s or x + “es”.

Examples:

* Mr. Adam teaches Mathematics at the university.
* She washes our cloths.
* He goes to college on foot.
* A highway passes by our house.
* A milkman mixes water with milk. A fisherman catches fish with fishing net.
* She punishes the late comers.
* He does some work.
* A wind kisses the tress but they do not make any noise.
* He fixes the date of wedding.
* She touches me at the shoulder.
* He brushes his teeth every morning and also before going to bed at night.
* The umpire tosses a coin before the play begins.
* Matthew watches television for three to four hours every day.
* The Government taxes people to pay its expenses.

** Rule 4:- If a root verb ends in “y” preceded by a consonant, then “y” is changed into “I” and then “es” is added to such a verb when the subject is a third person singular.

A third person subject (He/she/it) + a root verb ending in “y” is replaced by “I” + “es”.

Examples:

* John tries to solve a mathematical problem.
* She fries meat balls.
* The super fast train plies between New York and Washington.
* The sun dries lakes during summer.
* The child cries all the time.
* He marries a daughter of a rich landlord.
* Peter hurries to his office.
* The traveler tarries at the inn on his way.
* My mother always worries about me.
* A miser buries his money under the ground.
* Television program occupies boy’s attention.
* He levies unjust taxes on the people.
* She pacifies a screaming baby.
* A kite flies in the sky.
* A bus carries passengers from one place to another.