Helping verb activity

Helping Verb Activities, Games, Worksheets & Lesson Plans

If you’re looking for all the best helping verb and main verb activities and games for English learners, then you’re certainly in the right place. Keep on reading for all these linking verb activities, along with worksheets, lesson plans and online practice opportunities.

Helping verb games and activities

Let’s get into the best main verb and helping verb games and activities to try out with your students today.

#1: Vocabulary Auction

This is an excellent activity to help students build sentences with linking or helping verbs, along with the main verb. Students have to bid on words that can form sentences and then engage in a trading session with their classmates. The team that forms the most complete sentences is the winner.

It certainly does take some preparation time but it’s such a great activity that I don’t mind doing it, particularly if I can recycle it for multiple classes. Just be sure to design the activity well so that students have to use a linking verb and can’t make too many sentences without them. Find out more about it:

ESL Vocabulary Auction Activity.

It can be super helpful to laminate these things so that you can use them again and again. Here are some of our top options: Laminating machines for teachers.

#2: Board Games with Helping Verbs and Main Verbs

I love to play board games in real life so like to introduce my students to them in my classes as well. They’re ideal for reviewing just about anything in a fun way, including helping verbs.

Fill up the board with questions that contain the target helping verbs that you’re teaching. Then, students have to answer the questions using a correct sentence. Or, write down some answers and students have to form a correct question to match. Find out more about how to make them here:

TEFL Board Games.

#3: Got to Hand it to You Main and Helping Verb Review

This is a nice way to take something old (error correction) and make it new again by turning it into a fun game. Students have to work together to correct errors in sentences. Of course, many of the errors should be related to main or helping verbs. However, it’s nice to challenge more advanced students with some punctuation or spelling errors too. Check it out:

Got to Hand it to You Error Correction ESL Game.

#4: Relay Race Game

#5: Running Dictation Helping Verb Activity

This is a fun, challenging 4-skills ESL activity that you’ll certainly want to try out with your students. Find, or write a conversation between two people that uses lots of the target helping verbs.

Then, students have to work together to dictate the passage and once done that, they have to put the sentences in the correct order. Find out all the details about it:

Running Dictation 4-Skills ESL Activity.

#6: Dictogloss

This is a challenging listening activity that’s ideal for intermediate or advanced students. Find (or write) a passage filled with lots of sentences that contain helping verbs.

Then, put students into pairs and read out the passage at a faster than normal pace for the level of the students. They can take notes and then compare what they have to try to recreate the passage. Repeat the process 1-2 more times and then at the end, students can compare what they have with the original version.

After that, extend the activity by getting students to underline the main verb and circle the helping verbs. Discuss how the helping verbs change the meaning of the sentence. Find out more details here:

Dictogloss ESL Listening Activity.

#7: Dialogue Substitution

Things like helping verbs are often introduced through a dialogue of some kind. But, have you ever noticed that when you ask your students to read it, they just blow through it without really paying attention to what they’re reading? Mine usually do!

Of course, it’s not the students’ fault. It’s that I haven’t given them a reason to read. If you want to avoid this problem, consider removing some of the important words. This turns it into a meaning, as well as reading focused activity. Try it out:

Dialogue ESL Reading Activity.

#8: Helping Verbs Videos

Maybe your students are kind of like mine and get tired of hearing you talk by the end of the semester? Joking, but only kind of! That’s why I like to let another teacher do the heavy lifting sometimes. There are lots of great instructional videos on YouTube that do a nice job of explaining something like what a helping verb is.

#9: ESL Pronunciation Games and Activities

If a sentence has a linking verb in it, it’s very common for there to be a contraction that should be used when speaking. This means that if students don’t use this, they can sound very far from fluent.

It’s for this reason that I love to focus on pronunciation when teaching students to form sentences using helping verbs. Here are some of the ways that I do this:

English Pronunciation Activities.

#10: Telephone ESL Speaking and Listening Game

This is a fun game to try out with children. Students can line up and then the teacher gives the first student a secret message that students pass down the line from person to person.

Of course, it should contain some of the target linking verbs in it. The last student says the sentence out loud and compares it with the original version. Find out more:

Telephone ESL Game.

#11: Picture Prompt

This is a nice ESL warmer that can serve as an introduction to helping verbs. For example, you might choose a picture with lots of action in it. Then, ask students what the people are doing. They may say, “walking.” Turn it into a sentence by saying, “The man is walking his dog.”

Or for modal verbs, you might ask what the people can do. There are lots of possibilities, depending on what you’re teaching and the picture chosen. Learn more about it:

Picture Prompt ESL Warm-Up.

#12: Disappearing Text Helping Verb Activity

If you want to focus on forms (some of them can be tricky if they contain linking verbs), try out this simple activity. Write the target sentence on the board and have students read it out loud together. Then, erase some of the words and have students do the same thing. Then, erase more words and continue until there is nothing left on the board but students are saying the sentence. More information here:

Disappearing Text.

#13: Speaking Lesson Plan for Linking Verbs

It’s certainly possible to design your own speaking lesson plan for linking or helping verbs. It’s easier than you might think if you follow a template! Here’s the one that I use in my own classes, loosely based on the CELTA style lesson plan:

Speaking ESL Lesson Plan Template.

#14: Sentence Structure Activities and Games

Time spent working on sentence structure with English learners will never be wasted time! It’s a very valuable use of class time and particularly fruitful for working on linking verbs, which can be a little bit tricky. Here are some of the top ideas for this:

ESL Sentence Structure Activities.

Main verbs and helping verbs

#15: English Drills

Using helping verbs can be a wee bit tricky, especially concerning word order. A nice way to help students out with this is to do some drills in class. Have a look here for some of my ideas:

English Drills.

If you want to give your students some extra practise with identifying these kinds of verbs, check out these worksheets:

ISL Collective

English Linx

All ESL

If you’re a teacher, then you’ll know how awesome it is to just print off a lesson plan and go to class. It can be a huge time-saver. Here are some of the top recommendations for linking verbs and main verbs lesson plans:

Study.com

Flocabulary

Education.com

If your students want to get some extra practice with main or helping verbs, there are some great online resources to recommend. Here are some of my favourites:

Khan Academy

Turtle Diary

ThoughtCo

Helping verb exercises and activities

There are a number of common questions that people about making sentences using these kinds of verbs. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What is a helping verb?

In English, a helping verb is a verb that comes before the main verb in a sentence. They extend the meaning of the main verb and can also convey time. Helping verbs are needed to form the progressive and perfect tenses in English.

What are some examples of helping verbs?

Some examples of helping verbs can be found in the following sentences:

• He can play soccer (can).
• She was given the top prize (was).
• I am renting out my spare room (am).

How do you find the main verb in a sentence?

To find the main verb in an English sentence, here are a couple of clues:

• The main verb usually comes right after the subject.
• It will also express actions, emotions, ideas, or states of being.

What are the 23 helping verbs?

In English, the 23 helping verbs are as follows:  am, is, are, was, were, being, been, be, have, has, had, do, does, did, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must, can, could.

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Grammar Activities and Games: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults...

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 87 Pages - 10/24/2019 (Publication Date)

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What’s your top pick for an activity or game that can help students work on main and helping verbs? Is it one of the options from this list or do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

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Last update on 2022-10-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Helping Verb Practice List - Helping Verb Online Games

What is a Helping Verb?

Helping verbs, also known as auxiliary verbs, lend a helping hand to the main verb in a sentence.

These verbs can assist in:

1. Forming a question (Does the party start at 9?)
2. Creating a negative statement (I could not attend the party)
3. Showing a possibility (They might be at the party)
4. Dictating verb tense (She has already left for the party)

Helping verb practice lists can be categorized as either primary helping verbs or modal helping verbs.

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Helping Verbs Sample List
Click 'Continue' to play with this list or enter your own

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Choose
an Activity

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Play and Learn
Play the game using your words

What are Primary Helping Verbs?

Primary helping verbs help a main verb, but can also serve as the main verb in a sentence. Primary helping verbs include “be”, “do”, and “have” verbs. A common use of a primary helping verb is the verb “is” in the sentence “She is watching a movie.” In this sentence, “is” helps the main verb “watching”. However “is” can function as a main verb, for example in the sentence “She is happy.” In this instance “is” works as a linking verb.

What Are Modal Helping Verbs?

Modal helping verbs always help the main verbs and cannot be used alone in a sentence. Some modal helping verbs are “could”,“must”, and “will”. These verbs can express expectation, possibility, necessity, and much more. Therefore, modal helping verbs can be used to form conditional sentences, which are statements that discuss facts or hypotheticals and their consequences. Word study based upon practicing well constructed helping verb practice lists is hugely beneficial for young learners.

The following helping verb list includes both primary and modal helping verbs. VocabularySpellingCity provides additional helping verb practice lists that can be imported and paired with our educational helping verb online games.

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On the question of the relationship between the concepts of auxiliary verb and copula

UDK 81'366

the functional specificity of copulas of the nominal predicate and the auxiliary components of the verbal predicate, which makes it possible to distinguish the service status of the copula and auxiliary verbs.

Key words: predicate, copula, auxiliary verb, functional word, analytical construction, grammatization.

L.V. Popova

To the Question on Correlation of Concepts of the Auxiliary Verb and the Copular

to light.

Keywords: a predicate, a copular, an auxiliary verb, a syntactic word, an analytical construction, grammatization.

In classical and modern works on grammar, not only the component of the analytical form, but also the linking verb (copula) in the nominal predicate, as well as the incomplete component of the compound verbal predicate, are often called auxiliary. What does such a wide use of the term "auxiliary" mean: partial coincidence of the properties of these elements or the absence of functional differences between them? We consider this issue important, since the opposition of two fundamentally different forms of the predicate in the Russian language (verbal and nominal) is due, among other things, to the functional specifics of their formal components, which should also be emphasized terminologically.

In Russian linguistics, the component of the nominal predicate was usually called the “copy”, and the modal or phase component of the verbal predicate was most often defined as the “auxiliary verb”, or “auxiliary component”, “auxiliary part”. In the history of grammatical science, there were attempts to expand the boundaries of traditionally distinguished connectives, and they are observed now. Recognition of the modal and phase components of the verbal predicate [2], as well as particles, conjunctions, pronouns [7] as a link, does not give a clear understanding of the grammatical nature of this linguistic element and, to some extent, casts doubt on the value of the very concept of “link”.

The absence of the need to differentiate the service components of the verbal and nominal predicate is often explained by the fact that “as part of a predicate, they perform the same logical and

grammatical function of connection” [7, p. ten]. This statement raises an objection, because, despite some similarity of position and semantics, it is the grammatical functions of these components that are fundamentally different.

A broad approach to connectives as ambiguous words that convey various evaluative meanings to the predicate, includes nouns with abstract semantics (fact, event, thing, person, time, time, etc.), words of the state category, short adjectives and short participles [ 2, p. 9]. Meanwhile, the role of the link in the Russian language is such that it requires the obligatory verbal "formality" of this service class of words. According to P. A. Lekant, in the grammatical system of the Russian language, the copula acts as an equal “partner of the verb, the conjugated verb” [3, p. 5]. Like a full-valued verb, it expresses the basic predicative meanings of tense, modality, and person. This function relies on the verbal nature of the copula.

Quite common is another approach that "compresses" the boundaries of the link to one or more words. Only the word to be (sometimes also to become) is recognized as a real, “pure”, “ideal” connective, all other service verbs are auxiliary, since they retain part of their meaning. “Those verbs in which the material meaning has not yet been completely lost should, in our opinion, be considered “auxiliary”, regardless of whether they are combined with an infinitive or a name” [5, p. 138]. With this approach, which takes into account, first of all, the degree of loss of a specific meaning by a word,0003

© Popova L. V., 2012

The term auxiliary characterizes verbs in various syntactic positions: as part of an analytical form, as part of a nominal predicate, as part of a verbal predicate.

How to understand auxiliary - semantically (ambiguity of meaning) or functionally (expression of grammatical meanings of a word or construction)? An auxiliary is usually understood as a component of an analytical construction that expresses only grammatical meanings. Auxiliary (in the narrow sense) verbs in Russian includes the only verb - to be, which forms the analytical form of the future tense. All functions of the auxiliary word refer only to the grammatical level. The compound predicate in Russian is not an analytical form, but it reveals the analytic structure: it separately presents the real (indicative) and grammatical (predicative) meanings. The formal component of the predicate is similar to the auxiliary verb to be, but its role is not limited to expressing grammatical meanings, it is also an important indicator of semantic relationships. The definition of the components of an analytical predicate as auxiliary is possible within the framework of the modern functional-semantic approach to the category of auxiliary, in which the latter is understood "not only as an exponent of a purely structural function, but as an important component of establishing semantic relationships" [1, p. 396].

The analytical nature of the nominal and verbal predicate is determined by various factors. The development of the nominal predicate link is due to the involvement in the predicative function of such categories of words for which this function is uncharacteristic (nominal parts of speech). Comparative typological studies of various languages ​​show that the linking verb as a service category of words appeared in those languages ​​in which predicative categories are concentrated in the verb [4]. Analyticism in the nominal predicate is especially pronounced: the link takes on the expression of grammatical categories that the main component cannot express. In this sense, the role of the link is just a service, “combatant”, auxiliary (the link helps nominal parts of speech become a predicate). However, the link is not limited to the expression of grammatical categories, otherwise there would not be so many link and semi-link verbs in Russian. In recent studies, it is quite convincingly proved that the ligament has a qualifying function, which consists in expressing a characteristic0003

relationship “subject - predicative feature” [3, p. 150].

Linking verbs, like the auxiliary verb to be, represent the result of the grammatization process. All verbal connectives arose on the basis of full-valued verbs, even the most abstract connective to be historically correlates with the full-fledged verb "to be" - to grow, to live. The essence of the grammatization of the verb in the position of the link is that it loses its categorical meaning - the meaning of the process, which, we note, does not occur in the auxiliary component of the compound verbal predicate. But the grammatization of a link is not only a process of losing a specific meaning, but also the result of the emergence, manifestation in numerous speech realizations and fixation in the language of a linking meaning of an abstract nature, which allows expressing the qualitative relationship between the subject and the semantic part of the predicate. The value of the qualitative relationship between the subject and its predicative feature, manifested in three typical varieties - logical, modal and phase, represents the categorical (grammatical) meaning of the link.

Although the lexical meaning of the copula was supplanted by the grammatical function, it did not turn into a grammatical affix. The semantics of the link can be emphasized in the context, linking verbs can represent a homogeneous series with one nominal component, actualizing the communicative or emotional-stylistic content of the sentence: Who did I want to look like, seem to be? (B. Okudzhava).

The complexity of the system of connective verbs in the Russian language lies in the fact that various units have undergone more or less grammaticalization, retained their specific meaning to varying degrees and, therefore, participate to varying degrees in expressing the semantic content of the predicate. A special place in the system is occupied by the connective verb to be. The abstractness of the meaning gives reason to consider this word as a separate part of speech - a bunch (L. V. Shcherba, V. V. Vinogradov) or call it a “pure”, “ideal”, “only” bunch and contrast it with all other verbs that perform connective functions . A high degree of grammatization of the meaning brings this connective closer to the auxiliary verb to be in the analytic future tense. Denying the presence of a lexical meaning in this copula, N. Yu. Shvedova notes that the verb to be in a construction like Winter is warm (it was warm, it will be warm) should not be called a copula, since it is

“actual syntactic indicator of time” [10, p. 6].

Nevertheless, the meaning of the link to be is not limited to indicators of time and mood, it is also an expression of the logical relation of identity between the object and its predicative attribute. The connective may show synonymous relations with other, more specific, connectives of identity (to be - to be, to represent, to constitute, to be), antonymous relations with connectives of imaginary, pretense (not was, but seemed; was not, but pretended), which also proves its meaning.

Functionally, the closest link to the auxiliary verb to be is in a construction with a short adjective, a short passive participle and a category of state. The specialization of these forms in the function of a predicate leads to a break with the category of full adjectives, participles, adverbs and the formation of a new part of speech - a predicate that has analytical forms of time. The link "forms analytical (morphological!) forms, and at the same time these are forms of the compound predicate, that is, analytical" [3, p. 5].

If in such combinations one can speak of an analytical word form, then perhaps we are already dealing not with a compound, but with a simple predicate and not with a connective, but with an auxiliary verb? Historically, the process of formation of analytical forms of tense and mood is associated precisely with the development of the compound predicate. “Each of the descriptive tenses comes from a compound predicate,” A. A. Potebnya noted [6, p. 114].

In a verbal predicate, there is no need to “verbate” the infinitive component. Any compound verbal predicate arises on the basis of a simple predicate, in which all grammatical and semantic functions are performed by a conjugated full-valued verb. Modal and phase verbs are necessary, first of all, in order to convey additional lexical and grammatical meanings, this is their main function as auxiliary words. In this case, auxiliary is understood as a function of establishing semantic relationships between the components of the sentence. The development of the analytical verbal predicate is associated with the expansion of the nominative tasks of the language. The nature of the attitude to action is expressed by verbs, the meaning of which is not subject to grammaticalization. They have a very specific meaning, allowing most of them to be an independent predicate: I can do anything. The child wants a toy. This creates

certain difficulties in the analysis of proposals. Wed, for example, I want water - the verb is full-valued, and I want to drink - auxiliary. Noting that the modal verb in combination with the infinitive "did not change its real meaning" [9, p. 232], A. A. Shakhmatov attributed the verbal infinitive to the complement. Examples of proximity between infinitive and noun positions are constructions in which both the infinitive and the noun depend on the same verb (I want music and dance), or parallelism with explanatory clauses: I dream of leaving and I dream of leaving.

On the other hand, the modal semantics of these units brings them closer to the grammatical means of expressing mood. Modal verbs are considered as "lexical substitutes" of the grammatical category of modality [2, p. 16]. It should be noted that a significant role in the expression of modal meaning belongs to the infinitive. An important component of the grammatical semantics of the predicate is the meaning of the "potential action" of the infinitive, which cannot be overcome in combination with the modal component. Despite the fact that the form of the auxiliary component conveys the meaning of real modality, the semantics of the compound predicate is synonymous with the meanings of unreal moods. Within the framework of the functional approach, modal auxiliary words are understood as “a grammaticalized expression of modality to a certain extent” [8, p. 68].

The modal evaluation in the verbal predicate differs from the meaning of the modal connectives (seem, appear, pretend, etc.). This assessment is due to the “semantics of the idea” (S. V. Chernova), it is associated with the subject, with the motivational aspect of his activity. The modal meaning of the connective implies an assessment of the relationship "object - predicative feature" from the point of view of the speaker, and not the subject. Many of the linking verbs refer to means of authorization. The semantic basis of the modal meaning of connectives is the concept of evaluation in the broad sense of the word, including a rational, intellectual, emotional reaction.

In addition to modal components, phase components are used in the verbal predicate. These verbs are largely close to function words. In combination with the infinitive, they not only designate the phase of the action, but also change its grammatical meaning, overcoming (unlike modal components) the meaning of the potential action. At the same time, we can talk about the grammatical idiomatic construction. Phase verbs participate in the expression of the aspectual meaning

of the predicate, their role is similar to the role of affixes: he began to sing - he began to sing, he finished studying - he unlearned. In the history of linguistics, there have been attempts to bring the combinations begin, become + infinitive closer to the analytical form of the future tense. Recognizing the “movement” of some combinations with a copula and modal and phase verbs towards an analytical form, we nevertheless note that so far it is difficult to recognize these units as auxiliary components in a narrow sense. Their auxiliary role is considered in the aspect of an analytical construction, which allows for the presence of their own lexical meaning. A. A. Potebnya noticed that verbs like I want, I’ll start and under. have a completely real meaning, “from here it is still far from the grammatical expression of the future” [6, p. 361]. The semantics of verbal action is still present in the meaning of phase verbs, even the most abstract of them can be used as a simple verbal predicate: There are no fogs (B. Pasternak). In addition, the phase verb can indicate some additional features of the performance of the action: rushed to run, rushed to help.

In conclusion, we note that the functions of both the connective and auxiliary components of the predicate are not reduced only to the grammatical level, even in the case of the ideal connective to be, therefore these components are rightly delimited from the auxiliary verb in the analytical form. The functional approach significantly expands the field of auxiliary, including not only auxiliary, but also significant words with a weakened denotative meaning. The unifying feature of connective and auxiliary components is their semantic role in the organization of the predicate: they perform the functions of actualizing full-meaning words. However, the involvement of these units in the category of auxiliary words should not mean their confusion, the components of the two main types of compound predicate must be clearly differentiated, including terminologically.

We consider it fundamental to understand the connective as an obligatory component of only a nominal predicate. The service of the link is that it helps the nominal form to be an exponent of the predicative feature, it means that the position of the name in this sentence is the position of the predicate. The link belongs to the category of functional-functional words, its main function is to express the links between significant words.

Even taking into account the ambiguity of the term “auxiliary” noted above, we still consider it appropriate to define the formal component of the main0003

naked predicate as an auxiliary. The task of this component is to convey additional modal and phase values. Such a component is not subject to grammaticalization, it cannot strive to get rid of the meaning, since it is used in the predicate solely because of its meaning. Modal and phase verbs belong to the category of significant words.

The fundamental difference between the phase and modal meanings of connective and auxiliary components lies in the fact that the meanings of the latter are universal for any sentence, they convey the regular systemic relations of the predicate and form a kind of modal-phase paradigm of the sentence. That is why it is possible to introduce an auxiliary component into a nominal predicate, but it is impossible to use a connective in a verbal predicate.

Bibliography

1. Zagnitko, A. A. Typology of service / auxiliary: intra-system and extra-system aspects [Text] / A. A. Zagnitko // Russian language: historical destinies and modernity: IV International Congress of Russian language researchers (Moscow, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Philology, March 20-23, 2010): works and materials. - M., 2010. - S. 395-396.

2. Kolesnikova, LV Specificity and typology of connectives in modern Russian [Text] : author. dis. ... cand. philol. Sciences / L. V. Kolesnikova. - Rostov n / D., 1971.

3. Lekant, P. A. Grammatical categories of words and sentences [Text] / P. A. Lekant. - M., 2007.

4. Meshchaninov, I. I. Verb [Text] / I. I. Meshchaninov. - L., 1982.

5. Nelisov, E. A. On auxiliary verbs and connectives [Text] / E. A. Nelisov // Philological collection. Issue. V Ministry of Higher and Secondary Education of the Kazakh SSR. - Alma-Ata, 1966. - S. 134-139.

6. Potebnya, A. A. From notes on Russian grammar [Text]: V. 1-2 / A. A. Potebnya. - M., 1958.

7. Skiba, Yu. G. Predicative copula as a function word in Russian and Slavic languages ​​[Text]: lecture on a special course / Yu. G. Skiba. - Chernivtsi, 1970.

8. Hanzen, B. Halfway from dictionary to grammar: modal auxiliary words in Slavic languages ​​[Text] / B. Hanzen // Problems of linguistics. - 2006. - No. 2. -S. 68-84.

9. Shakhmatov, A. A. Syntax of the Russian language [Text] / A. A. Shakhmatov. - L., 1941.

10. Shvedova, N. Yu. Once again about the verb to be [Text] / N. Yu. Shvedova // Questions of linguistics. - 2001. - No. 2 -S. 3-12.

How to recognize Present Simple: marker help

Present Simple - time is not so simple, despite the name. It may be difficult to use it in a sentence. Using the time correctly will help Present Simple markers - pointers characteristic of the verb.

Different usage situations are distinguished for present simple tense. In order for their meanings to be better deposited in the head, it is worth remembering the verb markers. With them, it will be easier for you to understand the system of English times and understand when the Present Simple should be used.

Verbs in a sentence describe actions and events, and they unfold in time. Therefore, the verb itself is directly related to temporal circumstances: when the event took place, how long it lasted, by what point it ended, etc.

The circumstances of time are not random in sentences: they serve as indicators for different verb forms. Such pointers are called temporary markers. Each tense in English has its own set of indicators, including Present Simple markers.

If you learn the verb indicators, it is much easier to identify cases of using one or another tense. Present Simple pointers will tell you that in this context it is the present simple that is used, and not, for example, Present Continuous.

But you should always be careful. Some markers may refer to more than one tense. The choice in such cases comes only from the context and understanding of the essence of the situation. And there may be sentences in which there are no circumstances of time at all and an indication of the verb form. Therefore, in order to correctly use the Present Simple and correctly interpret the hints of the indicators, you need to learn the meanings of the present simple.

Lists of markers do not appear from scratch. What circumstances are indicators for Present Simple is based on the values ​​of this time. Therefore, let's remember what situations the time of the present symbol describes.

Present Simple - simple present. It would seem that it could be easier. Time describes situations in the present. But it is not suitable for every situation: do not confuse it with other forms of the present tense.

Present Simple time is used in the following cases:

1. When we talk about absolute, permanent truths:

   The Earth goes round the Sun

2. When we refer to the norms and facts accepted in the present:

   Moscow is the capital of Russia
   My parents live in France - My parents live in France

3. We characterize a frequent event, a regular action:

   I go for a walk at weekends

4. When we refer to the schedule:

   The shop opens at 8 a. m. — The store opens at 8 am

5. Reporting a precisely planned future:

   He arrives at 9 o'clock
   My train leaves at 10:15 - My train leaves at 10:15

What will the sentence with Present Simple signals look like? Time is formed using the first form of the verb. In the first and second person, as well as in the third person plural, the verb looks like an infinitive without the to particle, in the third person singular the ending -s is added:

I / we / you / they live here - I / we / you / they live here
He / she / it lives here - He / she / it lives here

Auxiliary verbs do / does appear in the interrogative sentence, and the semantic verb ceases to change by person. The ending -s is not on the semantic, but only on the auxiliary verb. In this case, do / does is put in first place in the sentence:

Do I / we / you / they live here? — Do I/we/you/they live here?
Does he / she / it live here? Does he/she/it live here?

To build a negative sentence, you need to put the particle not with the auxiliary verb: do not / does not. A shortened form is also common, in which the negation is not separated from the auxiliary verb:

I / we / you / they don't live here - I / we / you / they do not live here
He / she / it doesn't live here - He / she / it does not live here

When we have looked at the meanings and forms of the Present Simple, we can fully take on the study of markers that will prompt the use of this tense.

The main indicators present simpl are circumstances that indicate the repetition of an action.

• Usually - usually: Wise people usually don't notice such things
• Regularly - regularly, constantly: Anyone who regularly plays tennis knows this man - Everyone who regularly plays tennis knows this man.
• Generally - as a rule: These situations generally occur in one-parent families - These situations, as a rule, occur in single-parent families.
• Always I always admire the determination of these people - I always admire the determination of these people.
• Never - never: He never finishes a sentence, speaks very quickly and never answers questions - He never finishes a sentence, speaks very quickly and never answers questions.
• Sometimes - sometimes: I help in the shop sometimes - Sometimes I help in the store.
• From time to time - from time to time: I visit my relatives from time to time - I visit my relatives from time to time.
• Often - often: Small children often get sick - Small children often get sick.
• Frequently - often: We go on business trips quite frequently - We go on business trips quite often.
• Seldom - rare: I seldom find someone who could answer this question - I rarely meet a person who could answer this question.
• Rarely New ideas rarely become popular at once - New ideas rarely become popular immediately.
• Occasionally - sometimes, occasionally: Clouds are high up and the sun occasionally breaks through - Clouds are floating high, and the sun occasionally breaks through them.