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TS Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
SIMPLE PRESENT EXPRESSES HABIT
"SIMPLE PRESENT EXPRESSES HABIT"
In the beginning of learning English tense, we students in young days had to accept the injudicious process to fill in the 'right' tense:
Ex: Tommy (go) to school every day.
== Even on internet, today one can easily find many such exercises to help children to understand the first step of English tense.
In school, teacher will help students a bit, I am sure. "Do you see the meaning of a habit here? Yes? Good. So we fill in Simple Present, because Simple Present expresses habit." And students will do it accordingly. They usually don't ask much.
But I don't know about Adult Education about English. I estimate an adult would have enough common sense to ask, “if from the sentence I have already seen the meaning of habit, why shall we redundantly use Simple Present to say it again?”
The adult is right in hitting the point. It is redundant to use Simple Present to repeat what has been already implied by the sentence. As most learners don't know, this is the first step to error. To be worse, after the adult has to accept the idea of using Simple Present to express habit, in later days she or he will totally forget that, at the very first, we have understood Habit based on the sentence, rather than on the tense. In all discussions over internet, people completely ignore the role of sentence, as we discuss the tense. I have always pointed out and proven that, as we think we talk about the meaning of a tense, we are actually discussing the meaning of the sentence.
TS
In the beginning of learning English tense, we students in young days had to accept the injudicious process to fill in the 'right' tense:
Ex: Tommy (go) to school every day.
== Even on internet, today one can easily find many such exercises to help children to understand the first step of English tense.
In school, teacher will help students a bit, I am sure. "Do you see the meaning of a habit here? Yes? Good. So we fill in Simple Present, because Simple Present expresses habit." And students will do it accordingly. They usually don't ask much.
But I don't know about Adult Education about English. I estimate an adult would have enough common sense to ask, “if from the sentence I have already seen the meaning of habit, why shall we redundantly use Simple Present to say it again?”
The adult is right in hitting the point. It is redundant to use Simple Present to repeat what has been already implied by the sentence. As most learners don't know, this is the first step to error. To be worse, after the adult has to accept the idea of using Simple Present to express habit, in later days she or he will totally forget that, at the very first, we have understood Habit based on the sentence, rather than on the tense. In all discussions over internet, people completely ignore the role of sentence, as we discuss the tense. I have always pointed out and proven that, as we think we talk about the meaning of a tense, we are actually discussing the meaning of the sentence.
TS
Top answer
Hello, TS. I've read your post three times now, and I swear I still don't get it. '" I find that particularly confusing, so my comment about that sentence may be incorrect.
- Hello, TS.
- I've read your post three times now, and I swear I still don't get it.
- '" I find that particularly confusing, so my comment about that sentence may be incorrect.
- But I'm going to comment anyway.
- You tell me if I'm wrong, ok?
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33 Answers
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Hello, TS.
I've read your post three times now, and I swear I still don't get it.
You say:
"I estimate an adult would have enough common sense to ask, 'if from the sentence I have already seen the meaning of habit, why shall we redundantly use Simple Present to say it again?'"
I find that particularly confusing, so my comment about that sentence may be incorrect.
I've read your post three times now, and I swear I still don't get it.
You say:
"I estimate an adult would have enough common sense to ask, 'if from the sentence I have already seen the meaning of habit, why shall we redundantly use Simple Present to say it again?'"
I find that particularly confusing, so my comment about that sentence may be incorrect.
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Hmm... what did I get myself into?
The Simple Present has several uses:
1. Universal statements in which no reference to time is implied:
"Two and two make four."
2. Habitual statements:
"We go to Ireland every year."
3. Sometimes it refers to an event taking place at the moment of speaking:
"Here comes the winner."
4. Future reference:
The Simple Present has several uses:
1. Universal statements in which no reference to time is implied:
"Two and two make four."
2. Habitual statements:
"We go to Ireland every year."
3. Sometimes it refers to an event taking place at the moment of speaking:
"Here comes the winner."
4. Future reference:
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> Hmm... what did I get myself into?
>
My reply: A little trouble.
> The Simple Present has several us
>
My reply: A little trouble.
> The Simple Present has several us
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I regret to tell you that it's not me who's got into trouble here. And I'm afraid I'm not going into too much detail here, TS.
The only thing I can say is that I chose the wrong post to respond do.
Some of the examples you provide are not really good for the explanations that accompany them, and several are certainly NOT examples of the uses of the Simple Present I provided. But then ag
The only thing I can say is that I chose the wrong post to respond do.
Some of the examples you provide are not really good for the explanations that accompany them, and several are certainly NOT examples of the uses of the Simple Present I provided. But then ag
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Miriam,
In your opinion, why we can say the three tenses at the present:
I eat dinner.
I have eaten dinner.
I ate dinner.
I guess that I will not change my routine "I eat dinner", which is always true and with no time reference, so I shouldn't say "I have eaten dinner", but it seems we can. Would you tell me why?
In your opinion, why we can say the three tenses at the present:
I eat dinner.
I have eaten dinner.
I ate dinner.
I guess that I will not change my routine "I eat dinner", which is always true and with no time reference, so I shouldn't say "I have eaten dinner", but it seems we can. Would you tell me why?
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I might be wrong, but you seem to confuse the concepts of "time" and "tense".
"Time" is a universal concept in the sense that units of time are extra-linguistic, they exist independently of the grammar of any particular language.
"Tense", on the other hand, is the language-specific category which we use to make linguistic reference to time.
Time and tense are two different things;
"Time" is a universal concept in the sense that units of time are extra-linguistic, they exist independently of the grammar of any particular language.
"Tense", on the other hand, is the language-specific category which we use to make linguistic reference to time.
Time and tense are two different things;
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Then thank you very much Miriam.
Please don't answer a thread you don't understand.
Please don't answer a thread you don't understand.
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HIGHLY SELECTED SELFISH EXAMPLES
Give me any newspaper of today and I will find lots of Simple-Present examples such as these:
Ex1: Recent polls SHOW Bush's standing with the public has weakened as Americans.....
Ex2: Several groups, including the National Abortion Federation and the Center for Reproductive Rights, PLAN to challenge the measure in court as soon as it is sign
Give me any newspaper of today and I will find lots of Simple-Present examples such as these:
Ex1: Recent polls SHOW Bush's standing with the public has weakened as Americans.....
Ex2: Several groups, including the National Abortion Federation and the Center for Reproductive Rights, PLAN to challenge the measure in court as soon as it is sign
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Miriam said:
I might be wrong, but you seem to confuse the concepts of "time" and "tense".
"Time" is a universal concept in the sense that units of time are extra-linguistic, they exist independently of the grammar of any particular language.
"Tense", on the other hand, is the language-specific category which we use to make linguistic reference to time.
Time and tense are two
I might be wrong, but you seem to confuse the concepts of "time" and "tense".
"Time" is a universal concept in the sense that units of time are extra-linguistic, they exist independently of the grammar of any particular language.
"Tense", on the other hand, is the language-specific category which we use to make linguistic reference to time.
Time and tense are two
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