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Verb tenses are changes made in the form of verbs.
These changes are important for meaning because
they are "signals" about time, whether something is
a continuing action, and other information.
One important English verb tense is the simple present.
This is actually not a very good name because its
meaning is not exactly simple and the time for which
it is used is not exactly present.
In order to understand simple present tense better,
we'll look first at its form.
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The Simple Present Tense: Form
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There are different simple present tense forms for be
and for other verbs.
BE (affirmative)
I am
you are
he is
she is
it is
we are
you are
Other Verbs (affirmative)
I base form
you base form
he / S / form
she / S / form
it / S / form
we base form
they base form
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There are also differences when be and other verbs
are negative in simple present tense:
BE (negative)
I am not
youare not
he is not
she is not
it is not
we are not
they are not
Note:
Contractions are often used for not, am not, is not,
and are not:
are not ---> aren't
is not ---> isn't
I am not ---> I'm not
you are not---> you're not
he is not---> he's not
she is not---> she's not
it is not---> it's not
we are not---> we aren't
they are not---> they aren't
Other Verbs (negative)
I do not + base form
you do not + base form
he does not + base form
she does not + base form
it does not + base form
we do not + base form
they do not + base form
Note:
Contractions are often used for do not and does not:
I do not ---> I don't
you do not ---> you don't
he does not ---> he doesn't
she does not ---> she doesn't
it does not ---> it doesn't
we do not ---> we don't
they do not ---> they don't
They are no contractions for do or does in standard
written English.
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Special Notes:
1.
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There is no acceptable contraction for am not
in standard English. However, you will sometimes
hear people say *ain't--which is considered
unacceptable and "uneducated." Some people
also use *ain't for you, he, she, it, and they--
not only for I. |
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2.
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Final / S / has three different spellings. Many
verbs simply add -s or -es. Verbs that end in
a consonant + y change the y to i and then
add -es. |
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