Welcome to the World of Now and Every Day!
In this chapter, we are going to learn how to talk about the things we do in our daily lives. Whether you are telling a friend what you do every day or what you are doing right now, these rules will help you speak and write clearly. Don't worry if it seems like a lot at first—we will take it step-by-step!
This chapter is part of our Grammar in Use section. If you want to learn about naming things, check out our chapter on Nouns, articles & plurals.
1. Present Simple: The "Every Day" Tense
We use the Present Simple to talk about things that are true, things that happen regularly, or our daily routines.
When do we use it?
1. Habits/Routines: Things you do all the time. Example: I walk to school every morning.
2. Facts: Things that are always true. Example: The sun rises in the east.
3. Feelings: How you feel about things. Example: I like chocolate.
How to build the sentence:
In English, the verb (the action word) changes a little bit depending on who is doing the action. We can split people into two groups:
Group 1: The "No Change" Group
For I, You, We, They, the verb stays the same.
\(Subject + Verb\)
Examples:
- I eat rice.
- You play football.
- We drink water.
- They read books.
Group 2: The "S-Squad" Group
For He, She, It (and single names like Mali or Somchai), we must add an -s or -es to the verb.
\(Subject + Verb(s/es)\)
Examples:
- He eats rice.
- She plays football.
- It rains in the afternoon.
- Mali drinks milk.
Quick Tip: Remember "He, She, It likes the S!" This will help you remember to add that little 's' at the end of the action word.
Key Takeaway: Use Present Simple for routines. Only add -s if the person is He, She, or It.
2. Present Continuous: The "Right Now" Tense
We use the Present Continuous to talk about actions that are happening at this very moment.
How to build the sentence:
This tense is like a team. You need three parts to make it work:
\(Subject + Helping Verb (is/am/are) + Verb + ing\)
1. I goes with am. (I am...)
2. He, She, It goes with is. (He is...)
3. You, We, They goes with are. (They are...)
Examples:
- I am eating breakfast now.
- She is doing her homework.
- We are listening to the teacher.
Did you know? In Thai, we often use the word "กำลัง" (kam-lang) to show an action is happening. In English, we use is/am/are and -ing to do the same thing!
Key Takeaway: If you see the word "now" or "at the moment," you usually need to use is/am/are + -ing.
3. Comparing the Two Tenses
It can be tricky to choose which one to use. Let's look at them side-by-side:
Present Simple (Every day):
- I drink milk every morning.
- (This is my habit.)
Present Continuous (Right now):
- I am drinking milk now.
- (I have the glass in my hand right now!)
Common Time Words to Help You:
Present Simple: always, usually, often, sometimes, every day, every week.
Present Continuous: now, at the moment, look!, listen!
4. Asking Questions
When we want to find out what someone does or is doing, we use these patterns:
Questions for Present Simple:
We use Do or Does at the start.
- Do you like pizza? (Yes, I do / No, I don't)
- Does he play games? (Yes, he does / No, he doesn't)
Questions for Present Continuous:
We move Is, Am, or Are to the front.
- Are you reading? (Yes, I am / No, I'm not)
- What are you doing? (I am drawing.)
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Forgetting the 's' in Present Simple.
Wrong: He play football.
Right: He plays football.
Mistake 2: Forgetting the "is/am/are" in Present Continuous.
Wrong: I eating rice.
Right: I am eating rice.
Mistake 3: Using "-ing" for a daily habit.
Wrong: I am going to school every day.
Right: I go to school every day.
Quick Review Quiz!
Try to answer these in your head:
1. Which tense do we use for things we do every day?
2. If we use the word "She" in Present Simple, what do we add to the verb?
3. If you see the word "now," which tense should you use?
(Answers: 1. Present Simple, 2. Add -s or -es, 3. Present Continuous)
Great job! Keep practicing by looking around you and saying what you see. For example: "My cat is sleeping now," or "I eat snacks every afternoon." You're doing great!