3 Surprising Patterns with the Present Tense

Hi everyone. Let's take a look at three surprising  but common patterns with present tense verbs. At  

the end, I'll test your understanding. Okay?  I'm Jennifer from English with Jennifer,  

and I love teaching grammar. Verb tenses  aren't too confusing at first, right? Then  

we start to learn about exceptions.  This is where it gets interesting,  

and this is where you need to know which  forms are appropriate for a given situation.

First, we can use the simple present for  future scheduled events. Context is key.  

The same sentence can have a present or  future meaning. Look the red-eye flight  

leaves at 12:30 a.m. We'll try to sleep on  the flight. There are only two daily flights  

to Las Vegas. There's a morning flight for early  birds. The red-eye flight leaves at 12:30 a.m.

Sentence A tells me this is a specific situation.  We're talking about a future scheduled trip.  

Sentence B tells me about a regularly repeating  schedule. We can use the simple present for  

future scheduled events, including departures and  arrivals of public transportation. Planes, trains,  

buses. etc. Start and end times, like concerts,  lectures, movies, etc. Appointments and meetings.

Looking at your personal calendar, you  might use a mix of the simple present,  

present progressive, and future  forms. Let's take a look at the  

calendar of my friend Traci. Look for  uses of the simple present. Traci says,  

"The next few days are going to be busy. I have  a doctor's appointment on Thursday before work.  

There's a company meeting on Friday. I'm meeting  some friends for dinner on Friday night. I'm going  

to a concert with my parents on Saturday evening.  It starts at 8, but we'll have to leave by 7. I'm  

free before 6. Sunday is book club. This month  we're going to discuss the Midnight Library."

All these sentences refer to the future,  and the uses of the simple present are  

connected to a schedule, especially  to official or professional events.

What do the next few days look like for  you? Any scheduled appointments, meetings,  

or trips? Write an example  and use the simple present.

Second, the present progressive can be  used for habits or frequent actions.  

This is a bit surprising because  normally we use the simple present  

for general truths and routines. I go  to tai chi on Tuesdays. We all do some  

housework to keep our homes clean. But  to emphasize the frequency of an action,  

we can use the present progressive along  with an adverb of frequency like "always."

I'm always saying affirmations  to help me stay positive.

My friend is an amazing cook. We're always  telling her she should open her own restaurant.

This pattern works well for complaints and  negative actions. He's forever pointing out  

others faults and never looking at his own. She's constantly doubting herself.

Think of a habit or a tendency you have. Can you  tell me about it using the present progressive?

Note that we can use the same logic and  shift back to the past for past habits.

My grandmother was always  cooking something in the kitchen.

As a girl, I was always trying to avoid unwanted  attention in the classroom, so I was quiet.

Third, the simple present can be used for plots,  narratives, and jokes. Why is this surprising?  

Stories are about things that  happened, so you'd think we'd  

use the simple past. When we tell fairy  tales to kids, we use past tense verbs.

Once upon a time. there lived a beautiful princess  

in a high tower. Only she didn't  know that she was a princess...

But as adults, we turn to other forms of  entertainment: TV shows, movies, novels,  

jokes. These kinds of tales are timeless. We  often talk about the plot with the present tense. 

This is also a technique that makes a personal  story or funny joke sound more dynamic.

One of my favorite rom coms is  Notting Hill. I'm sure many of  

you have seen it. If you haven't,  I'll give you a super short summary.

This is a story about a famous American  actress, played by Julia Roberts. While  

shopping in a bookstore in London, she meets  the charming owner, played by Hugh Grant,  

only he doesn't recognize her at first.  The second run-in is more eventful,  

and the American ends up seeing how  adorable and kind the British guy is,  

and they fall in love. Of course, they have  to navigate some serious obstacles in order  

to have a relationship, but eventually they  both agree that sacrifices are worth it.

Think of one of your favorite movies. Can you  summarize the plot in about five sentences  

or less? Use the simple present to make it  sound dynamic. The story will sound timeless.

Now here's a joke you can learn  to tell. It's short enough to  

memorize. Be sure to tell it in the present tense.

A guy calls up a lawyer and asks how much a  consultation is. The lawyer kindly responds,  

"I charge $200 for three questions." The guy  is shocked. He asks, "Don't you think that's  

rather steep?" "Yes, but I'm worth it," explains  the lawyer. "Now, what's your final question?"

Okay. Time for a quiz. I'll test you  on the three patterns we covered as  

well as other uses of the present tense. Ready?

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follow me on social media. As always,  thanks for watching and happy studies!