• purpose

    • These materials are meant to support topics in my English courses, but might be helpful for others as well.

      Please note that much of it still needs to be commented on by a teacher in class.

      It is designed to be used as a self-study resource in a teacher-guided learning environment, especially by all those who feel they have to compensate for earlier neglect.

    • disclaimer & copyright

    • This site is purely private and non-commercial.

      With the exception of some copyright-free primary texts (exam tasks or fiction), all materials are my intellectual property.

      If you find this site useful, please feel free to use it for teaching or learning purposes.

      Where downloads are possible, they are permitted for personal use only. Any other form of distribution or publication requires my written consent.

    • contact

    • If you have comments, enhancements, or ideas please contact me under j-s{at}schulze-j.de.

      (Thanks to spambots you will have to replace the "{at}" part with the "@" sign.)

    • this site proudly presents

    • ...a complete lack of links to facebook or twitter.

London

go to present progressive

Present

Whenever you combine a subject noun or pronoun with a predicate a verb form and finish this wonderful construction with a full stop, you have produced a sentence in present tense. It is (almost) that simple.

Simple Present

The title basically says it all. It is a very simple form, as you can see in the table below. The only problem that usually haunts beginners for years is the third person.

General statements

This form is used to describe states, information and concepts of a very general nature.

Repeated actions

You can also use simple present to describe routines or habits.

Sequence of actions

When you describe how one action follows another one - like in technical manuals - you use simple present.

Verb (infinitive) for all subjects except 3(rd) person singular.

For 3(rd)person singular subjects he, she, it or anything that can be replaced by these you add an -s to the verb.

Verbs ending in sibilants a 's'- or 'sh'-sound get an -es.

Exceptions

have - has, do - does, go - goes

The 3(rd) person forms of 'be' ('is') and other auxiliaries also called 'helping verbs', like 'can' or 'must' are not changed, of course.

Tom goes 'goes' is one of the exceptions to every party.

The world is round.

I work as a teacher.

He makes 'make' + '-s' because 'he' is 3(rd) person singular the best sandwiches.

Mary kisses 'kiss' + '-es' because 'kiss' ends in a sibilant and 'Mary' is 3(rd) person singular her dog.

They live no '-s'. 'They' is 3 (rd) person, but not singular. in Dresden.

First you open the cover, then you use a small screwdriver to ..."