Korean Job Discussion Forums

[khyber]

I can't imagine that i'm the only one who needs to hear this about a particular topic

Well, mine is simple present tense
WTF! How the hell do i describe it to these kids in a way that a) they understand and b) is more encompassing
These days i make it simple...and probably wrong. I try to adapt it for whatever objective i'm teaching.
for example:
Kim walkS to school (transportation. She walks to school yesterday, today and tomorrow. So we use (what i simply call, the "S" tense...or just the "s")
I always take a bus to school. et. al.

Can someone please simplify this for me (it really doesnt' help that I am not the best grammarian, as i'm sure you'd know if you read my posts)

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

Subject Verb Form Example
I simple form I sing
You simple form You sing
He simple form + S He sings
She simple form + S She sings
It simple form + S It sings
We simple form We sing
They simple form They sing

In other words, only THIRD PERSON SINGULAR subjects (he, she and it) have to have a verb with -S.





-S or -ES?
With most verbs, the third person singular form is created simply by adding -S. However, with some verbs, you need to add -ES or change the ending a little. Here are the rules:
Verb ending in... How to make the 3rd person singular Example
s Add -ES He passes
z Add -ES She dozes
sh Add -ES She wishes
ch Add -ES He watches
consonant + y Change Y to I, then add -ES It flies
[anything else] Add -S He sings

We use the simple present tense when:

the action is general
the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future
the action is not only happening now
the statement is always true

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb to be in the present simple tense�some of them are general, some of them are now:

Am I right?
Tara is not at home.
You are happy.
I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.

[khyber]

[katydid]

Have them talk about their daily activities. What do they do in the morning, and in the afternoon and at night? That might work. The present tense is used to take about regular occurrences.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[Jaundiced Jonz]

Try explaining that these things happen AGAIN and AGAIN and differentiate the actions from something that is happening RIGHT NOW.

we ARE studyING english,

you AREN'T brushING your teeth,

but you brush them everyday. AGAIN and AGAIN.

Best of luck. And good question.