Unit 10 : The Simple Present Tense

1)    The Simple Present Tense is used to express regular ar habitual actions and universal truths.

Examples :

Gases expand (expand) when they are heated.

The sun always rises (rise) in the east and sets (set) in the west.

He brushes (brush) his teeth twice a day.

2)    The Simple Present Tense is also used in imperatives. Imperatives are instructions or commands. In the imperative mood, the subject is not mentioned.

Examples :

Verb	Imperative form
sit	Sit down.
walk	Walk quietly.
beat	Beat the eggs well.
stop	Stop!

3)    In the third person singular (he, she, it, the boy), the Simple Present Tense verb takes ‘-s’, ‘-es’ or ‘-ies’.

Examples :

He eats (eat) a lot.

She chases (chase) the cat around the house.

He carries (carry) the basket up the hill.

4)    Auxiliary verbs that are used with singular subjects in the Simple Present Tense are ‘is’, ‘am’, ‘does’ and ‘has’.

Examples :

It is a cat.

I am a boy.

He has many friends.

My mother does the homework every day.

5)    In the third person plural (they, the boys), the Simple Present Tense verb does not have an ‘-s’, ‘-es’ or ‘-ies’ added to it.

6)    The auxiliary verbs that are used with plural subjects in the Simple Present Tense are ‘do’, ‘are’ and ‘have’.

Examples :

We are happy today.

The guests have arrived.

Do they drink coffee?

Exercises

1)    A rainbow _____________ seven colours

a)    is

b)    has

c)    are

d)    have

2)    Every time my uncle visits us, he __________ us presents.

a)    giving

b)    gives

c)    gave

d)    give

3)    Encik Rosli __________ past the post office every day on his way to work.

a)    drove

b)    drive

c)    drives

d)    driving

4)    I __________ it is going to rain today.

a)    thought

b)    thinking

c)    thinks

d)    think

5)    Joe and I ___________ a movie at the cinema once a month.

a)    are watching

b)    watching

c)    watches

d)    watch

6)    __________ the room now! There is smoke everywhere!

a)    Leaving

b)    Leaves

c)    Leave

d)    Left

7)    __________ in your seat while the bus is moving.

a)    Staying

b)    Stayed

c)    Stays

d)    Stay

8)    My brother always _________ for an hour before he goes to bed.

a)    am reading

b)    reading

c)    is reads

d)    reads

9)    I __________ my hands before and after every meal.

a)    are washing

b)    washing

c)    washes

d)    wash

10)  Insects ___________ six legs.

a)    are having

b)    is have

c)    have

d)    has