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"Simple Present" is actually not a
very good name for
this verb
tense because its uses are not really simple
and its time
is not exactly
present. Instead, this tense
has two common
uses:
1. |
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to
show actions or situations that are accepted as facts or truths; |
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2. |
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to show habits (situations or actions that are repeated many, many times). |
Detail / Examples:
1. |
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showing facts or truths
Use of the simple present
tense shows that an action or situation is generally
believed to be true or is a generally accepted
fact.
Examples:
Most of the U.S. is in North America.
Spanish and Portuguese
are Romance
languages.
The chemical symbol for iron
is Fe.
A nickel equals five
cents.
The bodies of insects have three parts.
Bronze contains both copper and
tin.
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2. |
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showing habits
Use of the simple present
tense can also show that an action or situation is a
habit-- it's typical,
usual, and predictable.
Examples:
Jim is
very
punctual.
Mayumi's letters are interesting
to
read.
He smokes.
They eat in the company cafeteria.
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Special Notes:
1. |
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Adverbs of frequency are very
common in sentences
with the
"habit" use of simple present
tense:
Annie is never on time.
Bob's parents
are
generally at home by 5:30
PM.
Dr. Jones is in her office from 9:00 AM until 4:00
PM
five days a
week.
Ahmed seldom gets up before 9:00 AM.
Ji-Hyun frequently visits her cousins in Pusan.
They take a break every
three hours.
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2. |
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Notice
that one-word frequency
adverbs (always, often,
rarely,
never, sometimes, etc.) come
after BE but before
other verbs. |
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3. |
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Notice that frequency adverbs which are phrasal
(more than one word) are commonly at the
end of a sentence. |
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Next: another common use for the simple
present tense
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