GRAMMAR SIMPLE PRESENT

Simple Present Tense #1, by Dennis Oliver

Verb Tenses: Simple Present (#1) Verb tenses are changes made in the form of verbs. These changes are important for meaning because they are "signals" about time, whether something is a continuing action, and other information. One important English verb tense is the simple present. This is actually not a very good name because its meaning is not exactly simple and the time for which it is used is not exactly present. In order to understand simple present tense better, we'll look first at its form.

The Simple Present Tense: Form There are different simple present tense forms for be and for other verbs. BE (affirmative) I am you are he is she is it is we are you are Other Verbs (affirmative) I base form you base form he / S / form

she / S / form it / S / form we base form they base form

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There are also differences when be and other verbs are negative in simple present tense: BE (negative) I am not youare not he is not she is not it is not we are not they are not Note: Contractions are often used for not, am not, is not, and are not: are not ---> aren't is not ---> isn't I am not ---> I'm not you are not---> you're not he is not---> he's not she is not---> she's not it is not---> it's not we are not---> we aren't they are not---> they aren't Other Verbs (negative) I do not + base form you do not + base form he does not + base form she does not + base form it does not + base form we do not + base form they do not + base form Note:

Contractions are often used for do not and does not: I do not ---> I don't you do not ---> you don't he does not ---> he doesn't she does not ---> she doesn't it does not ---> it doesn't we do not ---> we don't they do not ---> they don't They are no contractions for do or does in standard written English.

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Special Notes:

1. There is no acceptable contraction for am not in standard English. However, you will sometimes hear people say *ain't--which is considered unacceptable and "uneducated." Some people also use *ain't for you, he, she, it, and they-not only for I. 2. Final / S / has three different spellings. Many verbs simply add -s or -es. Verbs that end in a consonant + y change the y to i and then add -es. ________________________ Next: Spelling final / S /.