d. Omission Some students sometimes missed a word in their sentences, such as
a main verb, an auxiliary verb, etc. The error indicates the students did not understand which word they must use and which word they
must skip. Besides that the students often forget to use the correct form of sentence that consist of subject, predicate or verb, and
object. e. Punctuation
Punctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language and it‟s vital to disambiguate the
meaning of sentences. Some students made errors in punctuation. They did not realize that written English is different from spoken
language. Gesture, tones, and stressing can make the meaning clear in spoken language but only punctuation can make the meaning
clear in written English.
B. Simple Present Tense 1.
The Understanding of Simple Present Tense
In Academic writing stated that “The simple present tense is the verb tense used to state facts and describe repeated activities
”.
11
Mark Foley and Diane Hall state that “The present simple is the most common ways of
expressing present time in English and describes things that are generally true.”
12
Meanwhile Betty S. Azar says that “The simple present is something way true in the past, is true in the present, and will be true in the future, is
11
Alice Oshima Ann Hogue, Introduction to Academic Writing, Massachusetts: Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 1988, p. 23
12
Mark Foley and Diane Hall, Advanced Learner’s Grammar, Harlow: longman,
2003, p. 46
use for general statement of fact.”
13
According to the Dictionary of Grammatical Terms in Linguistic, defines simple present tense as:
Present which the tense category is occurring in some languages in most regularly used to refer to actions or states in progress at the moment of
speaking or which at least includes this function as one of its major uses. The term is sometimes used to label as a tense form of rather wider
applicability than this; in English, for example, the name „present‟ is regularly used for
the tense which would more explicitly be called the „non- past‟, as it contrasts with a past tense.
14
It can be conclude that simple present tense are the most common ways of expressing present time in English and describes things that are
generally true, expressing facts and repeated events or habits.
2. The Rules of Using Simple Present Tense
In simple present tense, there are many rules have to known on using verb with “es” and “s” form as follow:
a. If the verbs that end in „e‟ add „s‟ at the end of the verb.
Write writes
Hope hopes
Shine shines
b. If the verbs that end in one and two consonants just add ‟s‟.
Set sets
Sing sings
Speak speaks
c. If the verbs that end by the letters as follow; ch, o, s, sh, x, z just add „es‟.
Fix fixes
Teach teaches
13
Betty S. Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, 2
nd
ed, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989, p. 11
14
R. L. Trask, A Dictionary of Grammatical Terms in Linguistics, New York: Oxford University Press, 1998
Wash washes
d. If the verbs that end by the letter „y‟ and preceded by the consonant
letter change „y‟ to „I‟ and add „es.
Carry carries
Fly flies
Reply replies
e. If the verbs that end by the letter „y‟ and preceded by the vocal
letter, only add „s‟.
Buy buys
Lay lays
Say says
3. The Form of Simple Present Tense
a.
Simple Present Tense with Verb 1 Affirmative Statement
To make an affirmative statement using verb for the subject I, you, we and they, the formula is:
For Examples: They work hard every day.
We visit our uncle every Sunday
.
To make an affirmative statement for the subjects he, she, and it, the formula is:
For Examples: She studies hard every day.
It makes me happy.
Subject + verb + objectcomplement
Subject + verb1 + ess + objectcomplement
