Uses of Present Indefinite Tense
Let’s take a look at the different types of actions for which the Present Indefinite
Tense is used:
To describe a universal truth: The earth revolves around the sun; Man is
Mortal; The sun rises in the east.
For an action happening in the present: Boys play a football match; I read
a book; She sings a song.
Activities of habitual nature and those with adverbs like always, never,
seldom and rarely. For example, I never tell a lie; She always speaks the
truth; My office starts at 11 am.
For events scheduled shortly:My school opens next week; The third
semester begins next month.
How to Form the Present Indefinite Tense?
Except in the third-person singular, most regular verbs employ the root form in the
simple present (which ends in -s).
How to Make Present Indefinite Tense Negative?
Do/does + not + [root form of verb] is the formula for making a simple present
verb negative. Instead of do not or does not, you can use the contraction don’t or
doesn’t. Example:
Sara does not want to share the cake.
Mohan does not want to do his homework.
I do not want to eat anything right now.
To make the verb to be negative, the formula is [to be] + not.Example:
I am not a cake lover, but Sara sure is.
You aren’t ready for a such delicious cake.
How to Ask a Question Using Present Indefinite Tense?
To ask questions in the present simple or present indefinite tense, we utilise the
words ‘do’ and ‘does’. For the third person singular (she/he/it), we use does,
whereas, for the others, we use ‘do’. With question terms like where, what, and
when, we use ‘do’ and ‘does’. However, questions with who often don’t use ‘do’
or ‘does’.
Rule: do/does + [subject] + [root form of verb]
