GRAMMAR UNIT 5 LESSON 3

Present Tense Verbs

Tenses

The tenses of a verb are the forms that help show time.

There are six tenses in English:PresentPastFuturePresent Perfect Past PerfectFuture Perfect

Present Tense The present tense form of a verb is the same

as the verb’s base form, except for the third-person singular (he, she, it), which adds –s or –es.

The verbs to have and to be are exceptions to the rule.

Ex. – to stay I stay We stay You stay You stay He/She/It stays They stay

Present Tense

To be: I am We are You are You are He/She/It is They are

To have: I have We have You have You have He/She/It has They have

Present Tense

The present tense expresses a constant, repeated, or habitual action or condition. It can also express a general truth.

Ex. Isaac likes the taste of tea with honey in it. (repeated action)

I bake wonderful spice cookies. (always; habitual action)

Gold is valuable. (general truth)

Present Tense

The present tense can also express an action or a condition that exists only now.

Ex. Krista feels good about her score on the science test. (not always but just now)

I see a hummingbird at the feeder. (at this very moment)

Present Tense

The present tense is sometimes used in historical writing to express past events and to convey to the reader a sense of being there. This is sometimes called historical present tense.

Ex. Washington continues to beg the Continental Congress for supplies.

The goalie throws her body across the net and blocks the shot in the final seconds of the game.

Exercise Write a sentence using each of the

following verbs in the present tense.

1. to run

2. to flow

3. to be

4. to sit

5. to have

6. to wear

7. to stand

8. to like