Grammar for Speaking & Listening
  • Simple Present

    • Simple Present

    Narrate & Describe
    In this section, we will review the basics of tense and aspect. We will practice applying different aspects when speaking in the present.

    Objectives

    1. Narrate in present
    2. Use tense to communicate changes in time while narrating
    3. Communicate changes in flow of action with aspect changes

    Narrations & Descriptions

    When we talk about narrations in terms of grammar and language, there are two very important vocabulary words: tense and aspect. These two concepts give us different, but essential, information about the story we are listening to.

    Tense
    tells us WHEN in time a verb occurred. Think of this as a timeline.
    Aspect
    adds information by telling us HOW that verb occurred in that time. Was it continuous? Or was the action in one particular moment?

    Simple Present

    The first aspect we will discuss is simple present. We use simple to talk about an action that are happening right now, facts, or a habit/routine occurrence.

    For example:

    She runs to the door. (specific action happening right now)

    The sky is blue. (a fact, general knowledge/truth)

    We have class at 8am every morning. (routine occurrence)

    The sky isn't cloudy. (negative current state)

    It doesn't need more sugar. (negative current state)

    This form should be fairly comfortable for you at this stage of your language learning. The simple present is usually the first form of the verb you learn to use.

    Sometimes, a narration in the past is told using the present for dramatic effect. It makes the listener feel like the events are recent and important now. This is called the historic present. You hear some examples of that here.

    You can also use the present to talk about the future, but that will be discussed later this semester.

    Exercise 1: Listen

    Watch the video below. Listen and write down the simple present verbs you hear.

    Transcript

    So it is just like a teenager. It is temperamental, has to constantly be moving, needs to be appreciated, and requires lots of attention. The poet Keats said, "a thing of beauty is a joy forever." Maybe he was talking about chocolate! The ancient Aztecs called chocolate the food of gods. That is how good chocolate is. And the ways we can use chocolate are endless -- from a simple chocolate chip cookie to a ganache to cover a beautiful cake or it can even be sprayed to form a velvet layer on a dessert. In a lot of our recipes, like chocolate truffles for example, the melted chocolate needs to be tempered. In simple terms temper is the process of carefully heating up the chocolate, cooling it down, and raising the temperature back again just a little bit. If we temper it just right we form better crystals, which give a nice glossy shine, a crisp snap, and a pleasant texture in your mouth. The Beatles sang, "All you need is love" but a little piece of chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

    • Do you like desserts with chocolate? Describe your favorite sweet treat with as many details as you can.
    • The speaker shares the quote from the poet Keats: "a thing of beauty is a joy forever." Describe something beautiful that brings you joy. Narrate a specific story (event) in your life about that beautiful thing.
    • In the video, the speaker explains that the process of creating good chocolate requires a lot of steps and attention. Narrate and describe a process that you are familiar with that also requires attention and skill.

    Exercise 2: Habits

    • Talk about daily or weekly habits that you have.
    • Include facts about why you think these habits are important to add more detail.
    • Remember to focus on correct use of the present forms of the verbs.

    Exercise 3: Personal Facts

    • You will write 6 sentences about yourself using simple present and present perfect. Use the chart to think of different information you can include.
      • ex. I have a dog. I have traveled to England. There are 5 people in my family. I run a mile every day. I don't like peanut butter. My favorite food is macaroni and cheese.
    • When you have your sentences, you will send them to your teacher privately.
    • Your teacher will then send you 6 sentences from one of your classmates.
    • You will read the sentences to the class and everyone will try to guess who wrote the sentences.

    Exercise 4: Class Recipe Book

    • Prepare a recipe for your favorite meal or dessert in English. 
    • All of the verbs should be in simple present.
    • Share your written recipe with the class. 
    • Explain the process in a short presentation.

    This content is provided to you freely by EdTech Books.

    Access it online or download it at https://edtechbooks.org/advanced_low_listening__speaking/simple_present.