6
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Simple Present Tense
1. The Definition of Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is used to describe everyday activities and habits, to make general statement of fact, and to express opinions.
1
With some verbs, the simple present shows an existing condition something that is happening now.
Based on Sylvia Chalker, simple present tense is identical to the base of verb except in the case of “be” and add –s for third person singular also called
present tense simply.
2
If the subject is a third person singular such as he, she and it, it must add
–s or –es. For examples, she speaks three languages.
1
Elaine Kirn and Darcy Jack, Interaction 1 Grammar, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002, 4th Edition, p. 11.
2
Sylvia Chalker Edmund Weiner, The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, New York: Oxford University Press, 1994, p. 395.
The simple present tense expresses the factual statements and generalizations and describing predictable future events or actions.
3
From the definition above, she can conclude that Simple Present Tense is the tense that may be used to express an activities that is habitual and fact which
are formed with base of verbs, except for the third singular subject by adding –s or
–es.
2. The Pattern of Simple Present Tense
Simple present tense uses the simple verb and is added by –s or –es if the
subject the third singular person. Simple present tense has difference verb form between verbs used in the third singular subject e.g. he, she, it, Jean, your friend,
etc. and verbs with other subject e.g. I, you, we, they, Jean and John, cows, etc.. The pattern of affirmative statement of this tense is:
and
From the example and the table above, it can be summarized that in a third singular subject, it can make an affirmative statement by using verb other than be,
add –s or –es to the verb and for the other subjects just put the main verb.
For example:
HeSheJean plays badminton every morning.
Your sister teaches English in school every Saturday.
IYouWeTheyJean and John play badminton very morning. The pattern of affirmative statement with be, use this formula:
3
Mark Lester, PH.D., et.al., English Irregular Verb, United States: McGraw-Hill, 2010, p. 6.
S HeSheIt + V –s or –es + ....
S I, You, We, They + V + ....
S + be am, is, are + adjectiveadverb of placenoun
Based on the table above to make an affirmative statement with be, after subject put the appropriate be am, is, are to the subject the followed by
adjectiveadverb of placenoun phrase, e.g. She is a teacher She’s a teacher.
The pattern of negative statement of this tense is:
and
From the pattern above, for the third singular subject to make negative statement add
does not or doesn’t after the subject and for the other subjects add do not or don’t after the subjects.
For example:
He doesn’t teach math very well.
She doesn’t like coffee.
They don’t know about you.
I don’t understand. The pattern negative statement with be, add not after the subject and be,
after that followed by adjectiveadverb of placenoun. The formula is:
In simple present tense, interrogative sentence, a form of the verb “do”
comes before the subject then following by subject and then simple form of verb. Use
“does” if the subjects are: hesheit and use “do” if the subject is third singular subject I, you, we, they. For example,
“Does Charles like milk?” “Yes, he does.” On that short answer,
“Yes”, he does means Yes, Charles likes milk. Notice that
S HeSheIt + does not + V simple form of verb + ....
S I, You, We, They + do not + V simple form of verb + ....
S + be am, Is, are + not + adjectiveadverb of placenoun
Kategori