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§, āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻāϰ⧠āĻāĻžāϰ⧠āϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āϝā§āĻāĻžāϝā§āĻ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻšāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻāĻŦāĨ¤ āϝāĻžāĻāĻšā§āĻ, āϝā§āĻšā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻāϰāĻŖ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāύā§āϰ āĻĒāĻžāĻ Â āύāϝāĻŧ, āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļāĻĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦāϰāĻŖā§ āĻā§āĻŦ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āϝāϝāĻŧ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻāĻžāĻ āύāĻžāĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ āύā§āϤāϰā§āĻā§āĻā§āϤ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻā§āϝāĻŧā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻĨāĻŽāĻŋāĻāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻāϰ⧠āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āϝ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāύā§āϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻļā§āϧā§āĻŽāĻžāϤā§āϰ āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻāĻžāϞā§āϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻā§āϞāĻŋāϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ āύā§āĻļā§āϞāύ 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 āύā§āϝāĻĻā§āϰ āϤā§āϞāύāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻāĻā§ āĻā§āĻ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āĻāĻŦāĻŋāώā§āϝāϤ āĻŦāĻž āĻ āϤā§āϤ āĻāĻžāϞā§āϰ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻžāϰ āĻŽāϤ⧠āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤ āϝāĻĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŦāĻŋāώā§āϝāϤ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻŦāĻž āĻ āϤā§āϤ āĻāĻžāϞā§āϰ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻž āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ, āϤāĻŦā§āĻ āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧā§ āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āϝā§āĻāĻžāϝā§āĻ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻšāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻž āĻāĻžāύāĻž āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤ āĻāĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āϝ āĻāĻā§:
Part: 1
“I see Bob over there by the newspaper stand.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŦāϰā§āϰ āĻāĻžāĻāĻā§āϰ āϏā§āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āĻĄā§āϰ āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻŦāĻŦāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāĻāĨ¤”
“I’m going to the library.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϞāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āϰā§āϰāĻŋāϤ⧠āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m on my way home.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m going to the bus stop.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāϏ āϏā§āĻāĻĒā§ āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
Part: 2
“Jack is going to the store.”
“āĻā§āϝāĻžāĻ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāύ⧠āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤”
“Jill is stopping by now.”
“āĻāĻŋāϞ āĻāĻāύ āĻĨāĻžāĻŽāĻā§āĨ¤”
“The meeting is starting now.”
“āϏāĻāĻž āĻāĻāύ āĻļā§āϰ⧠āĻšāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤”
“The manager is waiting for you in her office.”
āĻŽā§āϝāĻžāύā§āĻāĻžāϰ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ āĻĢāĻŋāϏ⧠āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻ āĻĒā§āĻā§āώāĻž āĻāϰāĻā§āĨ¤
“Tell the receptionist that you are here to see Mr. Hwang.”
“āϰāĻŋāϏā§āĻĒāĻļāύāĻŋāϏā§āĻāĻā§ āĻŦāϞā§āύ āϝ⧠āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻŽāĻŋāϏā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻšā§āϝāĻŧāĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻāϤ⧠āĻāϏā§āĻā§āύāĨ¤”
Questions:
A very common question you will run into is,
āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŦ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύ āϝāĻž āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āύ,
“How are you doing?”
“āϤā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŽāύ āĻāĻ?”
“How is your day going?”
“āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻā§?”
“What are you doing now?”
“āϤā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻŋ āĻāϰāĻ?”
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 āϧāϰāĻŖā§āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύā§āϰ āĻāϤā§āϤāϰ āĻĻā§āĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ, āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻļā§āϝāĻ āĻŽāύ⧠āϰāĻžāĻāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§ āϝ⧠āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ⧠āϝāĻž āĻāϞāĻā§ āϤāĻž āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻā§āύ, āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻĒāύāĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻļā§āϝāĻ āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤
Here are some ways to answer the above question.
āĻāĻĒāϰā§āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻļā§āύā§āϰ āĻāϤā§āϤāϰ āĻĻā§āĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϰāϝāĻŧā§āĻā§āĨ¤
“I’m enjoying the beautiful weather without any worries in the world.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻĒā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻŦā§āϰ āĻā§āύ āĻāĻĻā§āĻŦā§āĻ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ āϏā§āύā§āĻĻāϰ āĻāĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻāĻĒāĻā§āĻ āĻāϰāĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m playing a video game on my computer because I have nothing to do.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻŋāĻāĻāĻžāϰ⧠āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻā§āĻŽ āĻā§āϞāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āύā§āĻāĨ¤”
“I’m at the grocery store buying ingredients for tonight’s dinner.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŽā§āĻĻāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ āϰāĻžāϤā§āϰ āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰā§āϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāĻĒāĻāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŋāύāĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m at the gym working out.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻŽā§ āĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰā§āĻ āĻāĻāĻ āĻāϰāĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
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.
āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāĻā§āĻā§āύ, āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āϝ ‘āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻšāĻŦ’ āĻŦāĻž ‘āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽ’ āĻāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠‘āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻŋ’ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āĻļā§āϰ⧠āĻšāĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻĒāϰāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠āϏā§āĻļāύ⧠āĻ āϤā§āϤ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻŦāĻŋāώā§āϝāϤ āĻāĻžāϞ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§ āĻāϞā§āĻāύāĻž āĻāϰāĻŦāĨ¤
More descriptive answers you can give are the following:
āĻāϰ⧠āĻŦāϰā§āĻŖāύāĻžāĻŽā§āϞāĻ āĻāϤā§āϤāϰ āĻāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āύ āύāĻŋāĻŽā§āύāϞāĻŋāĻāĻŋāϤ:
“I’m pretty busy right now. I’m doing my homework because I have an exam tomorrow.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāύ āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻŦā§āϝāϏā§āϤāĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϰ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻāϰāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻāĻžāĻŽā§āĻāĻžāϞ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻž āĻāĻā§āĨ¤”
“My project deadline is coming up, so I’m currently in the process of finishing my tasks.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻāϞā§āĻĒā§āϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧāϏā§āĻŽāĻž āĻāϏāĻā§, āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻāĻžāĻāĻā§āϞāĻŋ āĻļā§āώ āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻā§āϰāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠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 āύāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŦāύā§āϧā§āĻĻā§āϰ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻĒā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻ āĻĒāĻžāĻ āĻžāϤ⧠āĻĒā§āϏā§āĻ āĻ āĻĢāĻŋāϏ⧠āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m looking for a job. The job market does not look that great, but I can’t give up.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻāϰāĻŋ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻāĻŋāĨ¤ āĻāĻžāĻāϰāĻŋāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāϰ āϤā§āĻŽāύ āĻāĻžāϞ⧠āϞāĻžāĻāĻā§ āύāĻž, āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻšāĻžāϞ āĻā§āĻĄāĻŧā§ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤”
“I’m applying for a job at a consulting firm in Taiwan.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϤāĻžāĻāĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāύā§āϰ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻĒāϰāĻžāĻŽāϰā§āĻļāĻ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāώā§āĻ āĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻžāĻāϰāĻŋāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāĻŦā§āĻĻāύ āĻāϰāĻāĻŋāĨ¤”
“I’m listening to music while thinking about my situation.”
“āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻ āĻŦāϏā§āĻĨāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§ āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤāĻž āĻāϰāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻžāύ āĻļā§āύāĻāĻŋāĨ¤”