The Present Indefinite

1.1. The Formation

The Present Indefinite is formed from the plain stem of the verb. For
the 3rd person singular it has the suffix -s/-es which is pronounced [z] after
vowels and voiced consonants (e.g. looks, asks) and [iz] after sibilants
(e.g. teaches, wishes).

1.2. Spelling rules

• verbs ending in -s. -a, -ch. -ich, -x and -z take the suffix -es (pushes,
passes). It is also added to verbs ending in -o preceded by a consonant
(e.g. goes).

• verbs ending in -y. preceded, by a consonant change the -y into -ie$
(e.g. study - studies, fly - flies). But if the ->• is preceded by a vowel, the
suffix -.v is added (e.g. play - plays).

Interrogative and negative forms are built up analytically, by means
of the auxiliary verb to do in the Present Indefinite and the infinitive of the
notional verb without the particle to (e.g. Do you work? Does he work?!
do not work. He does not work). Contracted forms: don't, doesn't.

An emphatic forms is built up by means of the auxiliary to do. (e.g.
1 do insist on it).

1.3. The Usage

♦ We use the Present Indefinite to talk about things in general. We are
not thinking only about the present. We use it to stay that something
happens all the time or repeatedly or that something is true in general. It
is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking.
e.g. The Earth goes round the Sun.

Nurses look after patients in hospitals.

In Britain most of the shops close at 5:30 p.m.

Barry works in a shop.

♦ We use the Present Indefinite when we say how often we do things:
e.g. I get up at 8 o'clock every morning.

How often do you go to the dentist?
Ann doesn't often drink tea.

Often the Present Indefinite Is followed by such adverbs: usually, generally, always, often, daily, every day.

♦ The Present Indefinite may be used to express future actions:

• in the adverbial clauses of time and condition
e.g. Don't write until? I tell you.

She won't go to bed till you come.

• to indicate a future action which is certain to take place according to a
time - table, program, schedule, command or arrangement worked out
for a person or persons officially. In this case the sentence usually
contains an indication of time:

e.g. The train leaves an 7 p.m.

When does Tom return from bus honey-moon? (according to his
official leave of absence).

NOTE. The Present Indefinite is preferred to the Present Continuous to
denote actions going on at the present moment when the action as
such and not the progress is important, or when attention is
focused on the manner in which the action is performed.

e.g. Why don't you answer?
You speak so slowly.

♦ The Present Indefinite is used in the meaning of the Present Continuous with the verbs which are not used in the form of the Present Continuous.

• verbs of sense perception: to see, to hear, to notice

• verbs of mental activity: to know, to understand, to remember, to
believe, to forget, to thingt

e.g. Don't speak so loud I hear you well.

• verbs denoting wish or desire: to want, to wish, to desire. ¹⁰

• verbs denoting feeling: to love, to like, to hate, to care.

• verbs with the meaning lo look, to seem: to seem, to appear, to look, to
resemble.

But the verbs of the 1st and the 2nd groups can be used in the Present Continuous to show the actual activity.
e.g. How are you feeling today?
I can't say what she is seeing.

The Present Indefinite is used instead of the Present Continuous in
exclamatory sentences beginning with the words here and there.

e.g. Here comes the bus! There goes the bell!

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