Chapter 1

Simple present tense

A form of verb to state facts, habits, or events that occur at this time. Because it is happening
at the present time, it must have used the first verb (verb 1) in its sentence structure. Simple
present tense has two kinds of sentences, which are:

1. Verbal sentences

Verbal sentence are sentences which contain verbs. Like going, eating, running, sleeping. In
positive sentences the sentence form only consists of Subject + Verb + Object. For more details,
see the formula below:

Positive verbal sentence formulas for subjects I, You, We, They:

Subject + infinitive (Verb 1)

For subjects He, She, It:

Subject + infinitive (Verb 1) + s / es

Example:

 I write letter everyday.

 She reads a magazine every morning.
  They visit gradmother every Sunday.

There are a few rules to be aware of when adding s / es to basic (infinitive) verbs:

a. In general, the verb (infinitive) is directly added to the suffix "-s"

No. Infinitive (Verb 1) Added suffix"-s"

1. Read Reads
2. Work Works
3. Write Writes
4. Bring Brings
5. Give Gives

b. Verbs (infinitive) ending in the letter "ch, o, s, sh, x, z" plus the suffix "-es"

No. Infinitive (Verb 1) Added suffix"-es"

1. Teach Teaches
2. Go Goes
3. Wish Wishes
4. Kiss Kisses
5. Finish Finishes

c. The verb (infinitive) that ends with the letter "-y" and is preceded by a death letter
(consonant), then the suffix "-y" is changed to "-i" then added "-es".

No. Infinitive (Verb 1) Added suffix"-es"

1. Cry Cries
2. Fly Flies
3. Study Studies
4. Reply Replied
5. Try Tries
 d. Verbs (infinitive) ending in "-y" beginning with vowels, just add the suffix "-s'.

No. Infinitive (Verb 1) Added suffix"-s"

1. Buy Buys
2. Play Plays
3. Lay Lays
4. Say Says

e. If the verb (infinitive) begins with an auxiliary verb, then it doesn't get the additional "s /
es".

No. Example of word

1. Must try
2. Must work
3. Can speak
4. Can write

Negative verbal sentence formulas for subjects I, You, We, They:

Subject + Do + Not + infinitive (Verb 1)

For subjects He, She, It:

Subject + Does + Not + infinitive (Verb 1)

Exmple:

 I don’t write a letter everyday.

 She doesn’t read a magazine every morning
 They don’t visit their grandmother every Sunday

Interrogative verbal sentence formulas for subjects I, You, We, They:

 Do + Subject + infinitive (Verb 1) ?

For subjects He, She, It:

Does + Subject + infinitive (Verb 1) ?

Example:

 Do I write a letter everyday

 Does she read a magazine every morning
 Do they visit their grandmother every Sunday

In verbal sentences in the form of a Simple Present Tense, it is often used adverbs which indicate
the degree of frequency or habit of an action, which is:

No. Adverb of Frequency

1 Always
2 Usually
3 Often
4 Sometimes
5 Seldom
6 Rarely
7 Never

If in the verbal sentence the question is used together with question words such as: What, Where,
When, Who, Why, Which, How, then the sentence structure is:

a) If the question word used does not ask the subject, for example: Where, What, When,
Why, Which, How, then you can use the formula:
For subject I, You, We, They

Question Word (QW) + do + Subject + Infinitive?

For subject She, He, It:
 Question Word (QW) + does + Subject + Infinitive?
Example:
 Where do you live?
 What does she write?
b) If the question words (Question Words) are used to ask the subject, for example Who,
then the formula as is:

Question Word (QW) + infinitive + s / es?

Example:
 Who always help your mother?
 Who borrows your English book?
2. Nominal Sentence

Nominal Sentences are sentences whose predicate is not a verb or in other words a
nominal sentence is a sentence whose predicate is 'To be'.

The formula for positive nominal sentences:

Subject + To be + Noun Adjective / Adverb

Example:

 You are beautiful.

 We are in the garden.
 He is a teacher.

Note: But if before to be preceded by an auxiliary verb (verb), the form to be (is, am, are)
changes to be for all subjects. For example:

 I must be there.
 He can be sick.

The formula for negative nominal sentences:

Subject + To be + not + Noun Adjective / Adverb

Example:
  You are not beautiful.
 We are not in the garden.
 He is not a teacher.

The formula for interrogative nominal sentences:

Question Word (QW) + To be + subject?

Example:

 Where is your father?

 What is your name?
 Questions
1. They ...... the bus to work at eight o’clock everyday.
a. Catch
b. Are catch
c. Catches
d. Catching

2. He ..... a shower in the morning.

a. Doesn’t have
b. Doesn’t has
c. Don’t have
d. Don’t has
 Discussions
1. Jawaban yang benar adalah A, karena seperti yang kita ketahui,
dalam simple present setelah subjek diikuti dengan verb 1. Dan
verb 1 yang tepat disini adalah Catch.
2. Jawaban yang tepat adalah B, karena ‘Does’ dan ‘Has’
digunakan untuk subjek He, She, dan It, sedangkan untuk
subjek I, You, We, dan They menggunakan ‘Do’ dan ‘Have’.