Learn EnglishSpoken English

How is your Day – General Statements; Day: 59

In this lesson, we are going to learn how to communicate to someone using the present tense. However, because this isn’t a site teaching grammar, I do not want to spend too much time on details. I wanted to include this section primarily to show many different sentences using present tense and to have a dedicated practice section with only present tense sentences.

āĻāĻ‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ ā§‡, āĻ†āĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻ°ā§‡ āĻ•āĻžāĻ°ā§‹ āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§‡ āĻ•ā§€āĻ­āĻžāĻŦā§‡ āĻ¯ā§‹āĻ—āĻžāĻ¯ā§‹āĻ— āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¤āĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻ–āĻŦāĨ¤ āĻ¯āĻžāĻ‡āĻšā§‹āĻ•, āĻ¯ā§‡āĻšā§‡āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻŸāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ•āĻ°āĻŖ āĻļā§‡āĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‹āĻ° āĻĒāĻžāĻ Â  āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧ, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ‡ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļāĻĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°āĻŖā§‡ āĻ–ā§āĻŦ āĻŦā§‡āĻļāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻšāĻžāĻ‡ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ‡ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻžāĻ—āĻŸāĻŋ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻ°ā§āĻ­ā§āĻ•ā§āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻšā§‡āĻ¯āĻŧā§‡āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻĨāĻŽāĻŋāĻ•āĻ­āĻžāĻŦā§‡ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻ°ā§‡ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻžāĻ•ā§āĻ¯ āĻĻā§‡āĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‹āĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻļā§āĻ§ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ā§‡āĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻ•ā§āĻ¯āĻ—ā§āĻ˛āĻŋāĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§‡ āĻāĻ•āĻŸāĻŋ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āĻļā§€āĻ˛āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻžāĻ—āĨ¤

This lesson is a little shorter than others because speaking in the present tense is not as common as speaking in the future or past tense. Although speaking in the future tense or the past tense is more common, it is still important to know how to communicate in the present tense. Here are some example sentences:

āĻāĻ‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻŸāĻŋ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻĻā§‡āĻ° āĻ¤ā§āĻ˛āĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻ•āĻŸā§ āĻ›ā§‹āĻŸ āĻ•āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻž āĻ­āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ¯āĻ¤ āĻŦāĻž āĻ…āĻ¤ā§€āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ā§‡āĻ° āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻ¤ā§‹ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻ¯āĻĻāĻŋāĻ“ āĻ­āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ¯āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦāĻž āĻ…āĻ¤ā§€āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ā§‡āĻ° āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻž āĻŦā§‡āĻļāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ, āĻ¤āĻŦā§āĻ“ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ•ā§€āĻ­āĻžāĻŦā§‡ āĻ¯ā§‹āĻ—āĻžāĻ¯ā§‹āĻ— āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¤āĻž āĻœāĻžāĻ¨āĻž āĻ—ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻāĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ‰āĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖ āĻŦāĻžāĻ•ā§āĻ¯ āĻ†āĻ›ā§‡:

Part: 1
“I see Bob over there by the newspaper stand.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ–āĻŦāĻ°ā§‡āĻ° āĻ•āĻžāĻ—āĻœā§‡āĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻĄā§‡āĻ° āĻ•āĻžāĻ›ā§‡ āĻŦāĻŦāĻ•ā§‡ āĻĻā§‡āĻ–āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ‡āĨ¤”

“I’m going to the library.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ˛āĻžāĻ‡āĻŦā§āĻ°ā§‡āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ¯āĻžāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

“I’m on my way home.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻ¯āĻžāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

“I’m going to the bus stop.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ āĻ¸ā§āĻŸāĻĒā§‡ āĻ¯āĻžāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

Part: 2

“Jack is going to the store.”

“āĻœā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ• āĻĻā§‹āĻ•āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ¯āĻžāĻšā§āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤”

“Jill is stopping by now.”

“āĻœāĻŋāĻ˛ āĻāĻ–āĻ¨ āĻĨāĻžāĻŽāĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤”

“The meeting is starting now.”

“āĻ¸āĻ­āĻž āĻāĻ–āĻ¨ āĻļā§āĻ°ā§ āĻšāĻšā§āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤”

“The manager is waiting for you in her office.”

āĻŽā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡āĻœāĻžāĻ° āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻ…āĻĢāĻŋāĻ¸ā§‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ…āĻĒā§‡āĻ•ā§āĻˇāĻž āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤

“Tell the receptionist that you are here to see Mr. Hwang.”

“āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¸ā§‡āĻĒāĻļāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŸāĻ•ā§‡ āĻŦāĻ˛ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŸāĻžāĻ° āĻšā§‹āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ‚āĻ•ā§‡ āĻĻā§‡āĻ–āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻāĻ¸ā§‡āĻ›ā§‡āĻ¨āĨ¤”

Questions:

A very common question you will run into is,

āĻāĻ•āĻŸāĻŋ āĻ–ā§āĻŦ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻļā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯āĻž āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§‡āĻ¨,

“How are you doing?”

“āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•ā§‡āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ†āĻ›?”

“How is your day going?”

“āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ­āĻžāĻŦā§‡ āĻ¯āĻžāĻšā§āĻ›ā§‡?”

“What are you doing now?”

“āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ–āĻ¨ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›?”

To answer these types of question, you must remember that you are talking about what is currently going on now, so you must use the present tense.

āĻāĻ‡ āĻ§āĻ°āĻŖā§‡āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻļā§āĻ¨ā§‡āĻ° āĻ‰āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ° āĻĻā§‡āĻ“āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯, āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ•ā§‡ āĻ…āĻŦāĻļā§āĻ¯āĻ‡ āĻŽāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ°āĻžāĻ–āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻšāĻŦā§‡ āĻ¯ā§‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ¯āĻž āĻšāĻ˛āĻ›ā§‡ āĻ¤āĻž āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻ›ā§‡āĻ¨, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ‡ āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ•ā§‡ āĻ…āĻŦāĻļā§āĻ¯āĻ‡ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻ°āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻšāĻŦā§‡āĨ¤

Here are some ways to answer the above question.

āĻ‰āĻĒāĻ°ā§‡āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻļā§āĻ¨ā§‡āĻ° āĻ‰āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ° āĻĻā§‡āĻ“āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻ–āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻ‰āĻĒāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§‡āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤

“I’m enjoying the beautiful weather without any worries in the world.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻĒā§ƒāĻĨāĻŋāĻŦā§€āĻ° āĻ•ā§‹āĻ¨ āĻ‰āĻĻā§āĻŦā§‡āĻ— āĻ›āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ‡ āĻ¸ā§āĻ¨ā§āĻĻāĻ° āĻ†āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ“āĻ¯āĻŧāĻž āĻ‰āĻĒāĻ­ā§‹āĻ— āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

“I’m playing a video game on my computer because I have nothing to do.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻŋāĻ‰āĻŸāĻžāĻ°ā§‡ āĻāĻ•āĻŸāĻŋ āĻ­āĻŋāĻĄāĻŋāĻ“ āĻ—ā§‡āĻŽ āĻ–ā§‡āĻ˛āĻ›āĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§āĻ‡ āĻ•āĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ¨ā§‡āĻ‡āĨ¤”

“I’m at the grocery store buying ingredients for tonight’s dinner.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻŽā§āĻĻāĻŋ āĻĻā§‹āĻ•āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ†āĻ›āĻŋ āĻ†āĻœ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¤ā§‡āĻ° āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§‡āĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ‰āĻĒāĻ•āĻ°āĻŖ āĻ•āĻŋāĻ¨āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

“I’m at the gym working out.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻœāĻŋāĻŽā§‡ āĻ“āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ• āĻ†āĻ‰āĻŸ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

As you can see, each sentence is starting with, ‘I am’ instead of ‘I will be’ or ‘I was.’ We will discuss past tense and future tense in the next sessions.

āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻĻā§‡āĻ–āĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻšā§āĻ›ā§‡āĻ¨, āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻŸāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻ•ā§āĻ¯ ‘āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻšāĻŦ’ āĻŦāĻž ‘āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ›āĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ’ āĻāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§‡ ‘āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻ›āĻŋ’ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻļā§āĻ°ā§ āĻšāĻšā§āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤ āĻ†āĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻĒāĻ°āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§€ āĻ¸ā§‡āĻļāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ…āĻ¤ā§€āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ­āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ¯āĻ¤ āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ†āĻ˛ā§‹āĻšāĻ¨āĻž āĻ•āĻ°āĻŦāĨ¤

More descriptive answers you can give are the following:

āĻ†āĻ°ā§‹ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻŖāĻ¨āĻžāĻŽā§‚āĻ˛āĻ• āĻ‰āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ° āĻ†āĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§‡āĻ¨ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻŽā§āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻŋāĻ–āĻŋāĻ¤:

“I’m pretty busy right now. I’m doing my homework because I have an exam tomorrow.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ–āĻ¨ āĻŦā§‡āĻļ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ° āĻ•āĻžāĻœ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›āĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ†āĻ—āĻžāĻŽā§€āĻ•āĻžāĻ˛ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§€āĻ•ā§āĻˇāĻž āĻ†āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤”

“My project deadline is coming up, so I’m currently in the process of finishing my tasks.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ•āĻ˛ā§āĻĒā§‡āĻ° āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¸ā§€āĻŽāĻž āĻ†āĻ¸āĻ›ā§‡, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ‡ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ•āĻžāĻœāĻ—ā§āĻ˛āĻŋ āĻļā§‡āĻˇ āĻ•āĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ•ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻ§ā§āĻ¯ā§‡ āĻ†āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

“I’m taking the day off from work today because I have so many errands. I’m going to the post office to send some packages to my friends.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻœ āĻ•āĻžāĻœ āĻĨā§‡āĻ•ā§‡ āĻ›ā§āĻŸāĻŋ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋ āĻ•āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ…āĻ¨ā§‡āĻ• āĻ•āĻžāĻœ āĻ†āĻ›ā§‡āĨ¤ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āĻ§ā§āĻĻā§‡āĻ° āĻ•āĻŋāĻ›ā§ āĻĒā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ•ā§‡āĻœ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻžāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒā§‹āĻ¸ā§āĻŸ āĻ…āĻĢāĻŋāĻ¸ā§‡ āĻ¯āĻžāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

“I’m looking for a job. The job market does not look that great, but I can’t give up.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ•āĻŸāĻŋ āĻšāĻžāĻ•āĻ°āĻŋ āĻ–ā§āĻāĻœāĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤ āĻšāĻžāĻ•āĻ°āĻŋāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻœāĻžāĻ° āĻ¤ā§‡āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻ­āĻžāĻ˛ā§‹ āĻ˛āĻžāĻ—āĻ›ā§‡ āĻ¨āĻž, āĻ•āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻšāĻžāĻ˛ āĻ›ā§‡āĻĄāĻŧā§‡ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”

“I’m applying for a job at a consulting firm in Taiwan.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ‡āĻ“āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ¨ā§‡āĻ° āĻāĻ•āĻŸāĻŋ āĻĒāĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻ°ā§āĻļāĻ• āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāĻ¨ā§‡ āĻšāĻžāĻ•āĻ°āĻŋāĻ° āĻœāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ†āĻŦā§‡āĻĻāĻ¨ āĻ•āĻ°āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”

“I’m listening to music while thinking about my situation.”

“āĻ†āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ†āĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ…āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻž āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ•ā§‡ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻ•āĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ—āĻžāĻ¨ āĻļā§āĻ¨āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤”