Fix the mistake: Tenses (Present, Past, Future)

Present Tense — Habits and Facts

The present tense is a tense used to express not only “this very moment,” but also habitual actions and universal facts. It is an important tense that forms the foundation of junior high school English.

Basic Rules

The present tense is used in the following three ways: ① habitual or repeated actions (I play tennis every Sunday.) ② universal facts or states (Water boils at 100°C.) ③ present states or feelings (I like sushi.). Be careful: an action happening “right now” is expressed using the present progressive tense. The verb remains unchanged (base form) with first- or second-person subjects and plural subjects, while -s / -es is added with third-person singular subjects (the third-person singular s). Using common frequency adverbs (always, often, usually, sometimes, never) makes the meaning of “habit” clear.

Points to Note

① Stative verbs (like, love, want, know, have, etc.) are generally not used in the present progressive. “I am liking sushi.” is incorrect; “I like sushi.” is correct. Since a state does not change over time, it does not need to be expressed in the progressive form.
② Frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, sometimes, never) are placed before ordinary verbs (I often go.), but after the verb be (She is always kind.). Be careful because their position is easy to get wrong.
③ The present tense is used for future events inside adverbial clauses of time or condition (when / if, etc.): “If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.” This is an important rule for “when / if” clauses of time and condition.

Practice

1. Write “He often studies at the library” in English using often.
2. Write “My mother makes breakfast” in English. Pay attention to the third-person singular s.
3. Correct the error: I am wanting a new phone.