We use the simple present tense when:
- the action is general
- the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future
- the action is not only happening now
- the statement is always true
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb do base There are three important exceptions: - For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.
- For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.
- For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.
Look at these examples with the main verb like:
subject | auxiliary verb | main verb | |||
+ | I, you, we, they | like | coffee. | ||
He, she, it | likes | coffee. | |||
- | I, you, we, they | do | not | like | coffee. |
He, she, it | does | not | like | coffee. | |
? | Do | I, you, we, they | like | coffee? | |
Does | he, she, it | like | coffee? |
Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:
subject | main verb | |||
+ | I | am | French. | |
You, we, they | are | French. | ||
He, she, it | is | French. | ||
- | I | am | not | old. |
You, we, they | are | not | old. | |
He, she, it | is | not | old. | |
? | Am | I | late? | |
Are | you, we, they | late? | ||
Is | he, she, it | late? |
difference between was and were
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