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.
āĻāĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻ ā§, āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ¯ā§āĻāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¤āĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻŦāĨ¤ āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĻšā§āĻ, āĻ¯ā§āĻšā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĻ°āĻŖ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻĒāĻžāĻ Â āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧ, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļāĻĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°āĻŖā§ āĻā§āĻŦ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻĨāĻŽāĻŋāĻāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āĻ¯ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻļā§āĻ§ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋāĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻļā§āĻ˛āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻāĨ¤
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:
āĻāĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ¤ā§āĻ˛āĻ¨āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻāĻā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻž āĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ¯āĻ¤ āĻŦāĻž āĻ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻ° āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻ¯āĻĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ¯āĻ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦāĻž āĻ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻ° āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻž āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ, āĻ¤āĻŦā§āĻ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ¯ā§āĻāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¤āĻž āĻāĻžāĻ¨āĻž āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāĻ°āĻŖ āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻā§:
Part: 1
“I see Bob over there by the newspaper stand.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻāĻā§āĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻĄā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻŦāĻŦāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻāĨ¤”
“I’m going to the library.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻŦā§āĻ°ā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m on my way home.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m going to the bus stop.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻĒā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
Part: 2
“Jack is going to the store.”
“āĻā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤”
“Jill is stopping by now.”
“āĻāĻŋāĻ˛ āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻĨāĻžāĻŽāĻā§āĨ¤”
“The meeting is starting now.”
“āĻ¸āĻāĻž āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻļā§āĻ°ā§ āĻšāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤”
“The manager is waiting for you in her office.”
āĻŽā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻ āĻĢāĻŋāĻ¸ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ āĻĒā§āĻā§āĻˇāĻž āĻāĻ°āĻā§āĨ¤
“Tell the receptionist that you are here to see Mr. Hwang.”
“āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻļāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻāĻā§ āĻŦāĻ˛ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻšā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ¨āĨ¤”
Questions:
A very common question you will run into is,
āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻļā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯āĻž āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¨,
“How are you doing?”
“āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻ?”
“How is your day going?”
“āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻā§?”
“What are you doing now?”
“āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ°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.
āĻāĻ āĻ§āĻ°āĻŖā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻļā§āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ° āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯, āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻļā§āĻ¯āĻ āĻŽāĻ¨ā§ āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻ¯ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻ¯āĻž āĻāĻ˛āĻā§ āĻ¤āĻž āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāĻ˛āĻā§āĻ¨, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻļā§āĻ¯āĻ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤
Here are some ways to answer the above question.
āĻāĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻļā§āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ° āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻā§āĨ¤
“I’m enjoying the beautiful weather without any worries in the world.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĒā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻĻā§āĻŦā§āĻ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻ¨ā§āĻĻāĻ° āĻāĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž āĻāĻĒāĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m playing a video game on my computer because I have nothing to do.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻŋāĻāĻāĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻā§āĻŽ āĻā§āĻ˛āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ¨ā§āĻāĨ¤”
“I’m at the grocery store buying ingredients for tonight’s dinner.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŽā§āĻĻāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ āĻ°āĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻĒāĻāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m at the gym working out.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻŽā§ āĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ āĻāĻāĻ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
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.
āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻā§āĻā§āĻ¨, āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āĻ¯ ‘āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻšāĻŦ’ āĻŦāĻž ‘āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻžāĻŽ’ āĻāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§ ‘āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻŋ’ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻļā§āĻ°ā§ āĻšāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻ°āĻž āĻĒāĻ°āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸ā§āĻļāĻ¨ā§ āĻ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ¯āĻ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻŦāĨ¤
More descriptive answers you can give are the following:
āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻŖāĻ¨āĻžāĻŽā§āĻ˛āĻ āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ° āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻŽā§āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻŋāĻāĻŋāĻ¤:
“I’m pretty busy right now. I’m doing my homework because I have an exam tomorrow.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻāĻžāĻŽā§āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻˇāĻž āĻāĻā§āĨ¤”
“My project deadline is coming up, so I’m currently in the process of finishing my tasks.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻĒā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¸ā§āĻŽāĻž āĻāĻ¸āĻā§, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻāĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋ āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻ§ā§āĻ¯ā§ āĻāĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“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.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āĻā§āĻāĻŋ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āĻ§ā§āĻĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻĒā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻžāĻ¤ā§ āĻĒā§āĻ¸ā§āĻ āĻ āĻĢāĻŋāĻ¸ā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m looking for a job. The job market does not look that great, but I can’t give up.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻāĻ°āĻŋ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻāĻŋāĨ¤ āĻāĻžāĻāĻ°āĻŋāĻ° āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ° āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§ āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻ¨āĻž, āĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻšāĻžāĻ˛ āĻā§āĻĄāĻŧā§ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤”
“I’m applying for a job at a consulting firm in Taiwan.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ¤āĻžāĻāĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻĒāĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻ°ā§āĻļāĻ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ āĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻžāĻāĻ°āĻŋāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m listening to music while thinking about my situation.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ° āĻ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻž āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻā§ āĻāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻļā§āĻ¨āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”