Lesson Seven

The Present Tense

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Singular
Plural
I learn
We learn
You learn
You learn
He learns
She learns
It learns
They learn

writing

You learn English every day.

He learns English at school.

They learn English on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Present Tense describes the things you do every day. Note the use of an “s” at the end of the verb when describing a man, a woman, or a thing.

Do not confuse the present tense with the simple form.

Here’s the present tense for the verb “work.”

 

I work

 

teacher

 

You work

 

Aye

 

He works

 

man

 

She works

 

woman

 

It works

 

car

 

We work

 

 teacher  I

+

 Aye  you

 

You work

 

student

 

They work

 

business meetingi

Present Tense – Negative

do + not + verb

write

Singular
Plural
I do not work
We do not work
You do not work
You do not work
He does not work
They do not work
She does not work
It does not work

Contractions:

do + not = don’t

does + not = doesn’t

write

Singular
Plural
I don’t work
We don’t work
You don’t work
You don’t work
He doesn’t work
They don’t work
She doesn’t work
It doesn’t work

Practice:

1.  I ___ to school every day. (go)

2.  She _____ to school every day. (go – negative)

3.  Juan and Martha _____ a large family. (have)

4.  He ______ a car. (have – negative)

5.  You _____ from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day (work)

6.  I ______ on the weekends. (work – negative)

7.  It _____ a lot in the winter in Minnesota. (snow)

8.  It _____ in the summer. (snow – negative)

9.  We _____ how to speak English. (know)

10. We _____ how to speak Italian. (know – negative)

answers below

click here for a quiz on the present tense

Remember to keep track of your progress with this checklist.

Next: Lesson Seven, Part 2
Questions in the Present Tense

 Answers: 1. go;  2. does not go / doesn’t go;  3. have;  4. does not have / doesn’t have;  5. work; 6. do not work / don’t work; 7. snows; 8. does not snow / doesn’t snow; 9. know; 10. do not know / don’t know