2.3: Special Present Tense Grammar Rules

Present Tense Rules

Rule # 1:  Basic Agreement:  The subject and verb in a sentence must agree.  If the subject is he, she, or it or a singular count noun, a non-count noun, a proper noun, a singular gerund or infinitive, then the verb of the sentence must be in its "s" form.  If the subject is I, you, we, or they or a compound subject, then the verb must be in its base form.

A good car costs a lot of money.    It has a big hole in it. They make a lot of money.
My boys spend a lot of money.      A student studies every weekend.

 

Rule # 2: Compound Subjects:  If a sentence has more than one subject, then the verb must be in its base form.

John and Paul go to school.  Minh and Trang sit next to each other.  A dog and a cat fight all the time.  A skier and a skater are on television right now.

       

Rule # 3:  Subjects with Prepositional Phrases and Clauses:  Prepositional phrases and clauses can come between a subject and verb, but they do not normally influence subject and verb agreement.

The boy with the two dogs has a nice bicycle.  My sister, who has a lot of friends, lives in Rhode Island.  The man, carrying the two tires, is my neighbor.

 

Rule # 4:  There/Here:  The first noun following the verb determines whether to use the base form or the "s" form of a verb.

There are three boys and a girl in the front row.  There is a girl and three boys in the front row.  Here is the book and pencils which you wanted.  Here are the three girls and their father.  There is a ball on the table.  Here are the balls which you wanted.

 

Rule # 5:  Amounts:  If a subject indicates distance, time, money, weight, or height, then the "s" form of the verb is used.

$5,000 is a lot of money.  Ten minutes is not a long time.  Ten miles is a long way to walk.  Two hundred pounds is a lot of weight to lift.  Five feet is short.

 

Rule # 6:  Indefinite Pronouns:  If the subject is a singular indefinite pronoun, the verb is in the "s" form in the present tense.

 

Singular Indefinite Pronouns 

any, anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything
neither, nobody, no one, nothing, none, one, somebody, someone, something

Everybody is in the room.  Nobody speaks French.  Either is OK with me.  Someone has a problem with the machine. 
Each of you speaks a foreign language.  None means zero.

 

Rule # 7:  Either/Or and Neither/Nor:  When using either/or and neither/nor, the word closest to the verb determines the verb form.  If the word is singular, the verb is in the "s" form.  If the word is plural, the verb is in the base form.

Either the dog or the cats make a mess.  Either the cat or the dog makes a mess.  Neither my car nor my clothes are expensive.  Neither my clothes nor my car is expensive.

 

Rule # 8:  False Plurals:  Some words naturally end in "s" and look plural; however, they are actually singul

mathematics, physics, economics, genetics, gymnastics, robotics, politics,
measles, mumps, AIDS, news, the blues, chess, basis, Charles, Tess, Les

Mathematics is difficult.  Measles bothers children.  The news is not good.  Charles helps his brothers a lot.  The blues makes you feel sad.  AIDS kills lots of people.

 

Rule # 9:  Gerunds and Infinitives:  When the subject of a sentence is an infinitive or a gerund, the verb is in the "s" form.  However, if there is a compound subject of infinitives or gerunds, the verb is in the base form.

Reading books is good for students.  To read is good for students.  Driving fast causes accidents.  To speed in a car makes my heart beat fast.  Reading books and writing compositions help students to improve. To do exercises and to rest well are good for your health.

 

Rule #10: Quantity Expressions: With quantity expressions such as many, a lot of, lots of, quite a few, etc., the verb is determined by the object of the preposition contained within the prepositional phrase.  If it is a count noun, then the verb is in its base form.  If it is a non-count noun, the verb is in its S form.

Some of the milk is spoiled.  Some of the boys are troublemakers.  A lot of water in the world is polluted.  A lot of women love to go shopping for shoes.  Quite a few of the drivers get speeding tickets in Seattle every year.  Many of the stores in downtown Seattle are closed on Sunday.  Much of the heat in the world comes from the sun.

 

Exercise 24:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the present tense verb, please.

1.  My sons and I often -------------------- (talk) to each other.

2.  My older son and I often -------------------- (talk) to each other on the phone.

3.  My son Andre ------------------- (telephone) his brother on the phone.

4.  Some people never -------------------- (help) other people.

5.  Many children -------------------- (go) to school every day in America.

6.  My neighbor’s child -------------------- (not go) to school yet.

7.  A boy and a girl who live across the street from me -------------------- (play) with my dog.

8.  Men ------------------ (like) to watch sports on TV.

9.  A man near my house -------------------- (have) a lot of money.

10.  Apples -------------------- (be) good for you to eat.

11.  An apple a day ---------------------- (keep) the doctor away.

12.  Many birds -------------------- (fly) around my garden every day.

13.  A bird -------------------- (fly) around my garden every day.

14.  My wife -------------------- (speak) five languages.

15.  Both of my sons -------------------- (speak) Japanese.

16.  The president of the U. S. and his/her family -------------------- (live) in the White House.

17.  My neighbor -------------------- (live) in the white house near my house.

18.  Lots of flowers and vegetables -------------------- (grow) in my garden.

19.  One of my plants -------------------- (have) big red flowers.

20.  Water and milk -------------------- (make) me feel better if I am thirsty.

21.  Cold water on a hot day ------------------- (taste) good.

22.  A friend of mine -------------------- (work) for Microsoft.

23.  Many of my friends -------------------- (work) in this college.

24.  A book from a library -------------------- (cost) nothing.

25.  A good student -------------------- (not copy) another student’s homework.

Exercise 25:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb, please.

1.  Swimming and running --------------- (be) good exercises for young people.

2.  Eating lots of hamburgers --------------- (make) people fat.

3.  Washing clothes in a river --------------- (take) a long time.

4.  Smoking cigarettes --------------- (be) bad for a person’s health.

5.  Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol --------------- (be) bad for a person’s health.

6.  Having brothers and sisters --------------- (make) a house noisy.

7.  Eating too much candy --------------- (cause) some children to get sick and throw up.

8.  Working in my garden and doing my homework --------------- (keep) me busy.

9.  Chasing girls --------------- (be) what young men like to do.

10.  Buying shoes --------------- (put) a smile on my wife’s face.

11.  To argue with one’s mother --------------- (be) usually a useless endeavor for children.

12.  To play sports --------------- (make) children stronger.

13.  To play sports and to study hard by children --------------- (make) children well rounded.

14.  To eat blue berries and cherries ---------------- (cause) my wife to be happy.

15.  To lie on the sand at a beach and (to) get a suntan --------------- (be) not hard work.

16.  To live and to die --------------- (be) both part of life.

17.  To watch children grow up --------------- (fascinate) parents.

18.  To catch a lot of fish --------------- (make) me happy.

19.  To listen to music --------------- (be) what I do when I correct homework.

20.  To listen to music and to look at papers carefully --------------- (be) what I do when I correct homework papers.

21.  Doing mathematics --------------- (be) very important for young children in school.

22.  Doing physics and studying economics --------------- (involve) a lot of mathematics.

23.  Taking things that don’t belong to you --------------- (make) people not trust you.

24.  To work at home and to study in school --------------- (be) important.

25.  Staying away from bad boys and girls --------------- (help) children to be successful.

Exercise 26:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb, please.

1. My sister, whose children are quite old now, --------------- (be) 68 years old.

2.  The little girl, playing with her cousins, --------------- (have) beautiful black hair.

3.  The boy’s brothers along with his sister --------------- (go) to the same school.

4.  My neighbor who has four cars --------------- (have) trouble walking.

5.  The dog walking with the two boys --------------- (have) brown and white fur.

6.  The girl and her brother --------------- (be) very polite children.

7.  Both clean water and nutritious food --------------- (help) people to stay healthy.

8.  Going to school with good kids --------------- (keep) kids safe.

9.  My neighbor who washes his cars every week --------------- (have) clean cars.

10.  My other neighbor who never washes his cars --------------- (not have) clean cars.

11.  Either my students or I --------------- (shut off) the lights after class.

12.  Either I or my student -------------- (erase) the white board every day.

13.  Neither my father nor my mother --------------- (be) alive anymore.

14.  Neither my sons nor my wife --------------- (work) in my garden.

15.  Neither young boys nor young girls -------------- (like) to clean their bedrooms.

16.  Either the mother or the grandmother -------------- (make) dinner every night.

17.  Both my sons and my wife --------------- (love) me very much.

18.  There --------------- (be) a whiteboard and many chairs in the room.

19.  Here --------------- (come) my brother and three sisters.

20.  There --------------- (go) the children and their father.

21.  Here --------------- (be) the pencils that you asked me to bring for you.

22.  Nobody --------------- (speak) 10 languages fluently.

23.  Everybody --------------- (love) to eat fresh fruit.

24.  My student along with students from other classes --------------- (help) me daily.

25.  The bird, sitting on the telephone wires, --------------- (watch) me when I work.

Exercise 27:  Basic Agreement, Compound Subjects, Subject w/ Phrases and Clauses, Here/There

1.  A good used truck ----------------- (cost) at least $3,500.

2.  Maria ---------------------- (study) in the library every afternoon.

3.  Both students ----------------- (speak) Chinese and Japanese.

4.  Bobby -------------------- (like) to eat chips when he ------------------ (watch) TV.

5.  His sister -------------------- (not know) the date of the next test.

6.  The faculty and students ---------------------- (park) in the same parking lot.

7.  Algebra ----------------- (provide) the basis of advanced mathematics.

8.  Xuan and her husband --------------------- (not go) to the beach very often.

9.  History and English ---------------------- (be) my favorite subjects.

10.  Although he ----------------- (enjoy) baseball, soccer ------------------ (continue) to be his favorite sport.

11.  The book for the new students ------------------ (cost) $29.00.

12.  The students in the next three classrooms ------------------------ (make) a lot of noise.

13.  The classroom with 10 tables --------------------- (have) 25 chairs.

14.  The student who is carrying five books -------------------- (not need) my help.

15.  The cat and the dog ---------------------- (not like) to sleep together.

16.  There ---------- (be) one book and two pencils on the desk.

17.  Here ----------- (be) the two men to help you move the piano.

18.  After every computer class, there ---------- (be) a lot of students who stay in the lab.

19.  Here --------- (be) the information that you will need.

20.  Whenever I go there, there ---------- (not be) a lot of people hanging around.

Exercise 28:  Amounts, Indefinite Pronouns, Either/Or and Neither/Nor, False Plurals,

Gerunds and Infinitives

1.  Four miles ---------------- (be) a long way to walk in the mountains.

2.  Five days ----------------- (not be) a long time to live in a city.

3.  Four hours of sleep ------------ (be) enough for me.

4.  Three dollars ------------(not be) a lot to pay for a movie.

5.  Three pieces of paper ----------- (be) on the floor.

6.  Everyone --------------- (know) my brother Carl.

7.  Each student in the class -------------- (need) to buy a calculator.

8.  Someone always --------------- (open) the doors to the classrooms every morning.

9.  Anything ------------- (be) possible if you are lucky.

10.  Nobody in the whole class ----------------- (speak) French.

11.  Either Alex or André ----------------- (help) me in the garden.

12.  Neither the teacher nor the students ------------ (be) happy about the test results.

13.  Both my brother and sister ------------------ (live) in Rhode Island.

14.  Either history or English -------------- (be) his major in college.

15.  Either the husband or the wife -------------------- (prepare) breakfast on Sunday.

16.  Economics ------------ (not be) an easy subject in college.

17.  Mathematics ----------- (be) important for students to study.

18.  The blues ------------- (make) people happy when they --------------------- (listen to) it.

19.  To study -------------- (not be) to learn.

20.  Studying in the library with friends -------------------- (seem) like a good idea.

21.  Going to school and working full time ------------------- (take) a lot of effort.

22.  Studying mathematics -------------------- (require) a lot of work.

Exercise 29:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the present tense, please.

1.  The student in the red dress with the pink flowers _________ (be) very beautiful.

2.  Either Bob or his sisters __________ (wash) the dishes after supper.

3.  All the kids ____________(like) to eat candy.

4.  Every one of the ten prisoners _____________ (want) to escape from jail.

5.  The news from the war front in Europe ___________ (be) not good.

6.  To study and to learn ____________ (be) what you must do in school.

7.  Playing sports _____________ (make) children's bodies strong.

8.  Neither my cousins nor my uncle __________ (speak) Arabic.

9.  Both my sons and my wife ____________ (live) in North Seattle.

10.  There _________ (be) a lot of milk in the three bottles on the shelf.

11.  Six hundred dollars ____________ (be) a lot of money to pay for a TV.

12.  Mathematics and physics __________ (cause) many problems for students.

13.  John with his three brothers __________ (fix) cars during the weekend.

14.  A good used car ____________ (not cost) a lot of money.

15.  Here ________ (come) the boys whom I have been waiting for.

16.  Some of the water ____________ (look) dirty.

17.  In the class of twenty students, nobody ever __________ (talk back) to the teacher.

18.  There _______ (be) four boys and a girl in the car.

19.  Washing clothes for a large family ___________ (take) a lot of time.

20.  Either my children or my dog ___________ (make) a mess in my basement.

21.  My sons ___________ (not like) to clean their room.

22.  Each of the students in the class ____________ (love) to do homework.

23.  I sometimes ___________ (not read) the newspaper at night.

24.  Watching movies at home ___________ (not cost) much money.

25.  Here __________ (be) the book I've been looking for.

26.  Ten bottles of the twenty-five _______________ (belong) to Mr. Jones.

27.  Old men often ____________ (enjoy) looking at young children.

28.  Every one of the people in the room _____________ (go) to school.

29.  Five hours of sleep _____________ (not be) enough for some people.

30.  To eat cookies ______________ (make) my boys happy.

31.  Mechanics _____________ (get) dirty when at work.

32.  Either my wife or I ____________ (prepare) our sons' breakfast.

33.  There ____________ (be) an orange and an apple on the table.

34.  The best student in the class ____________ (study) three hours a night.

35.  His daughter ___________ (not know) how to cook Chinese food.

36.  Telling lies often ___________ (make) people angry.

37.  Physics __________ (require) a lot of studying.

38.  The boy who is walking with his three dogs ____________ (play) with my sons.

39.  Although Bob likes to play football, his brothers ___________ (prefer) baseball.

40.  Information from newspapers ___________ (be) helpful to people who read it.

41.  Smoking cigarettes ____________ (not be) good for your health.

42.  Almost all mothers ___________ (love) their children very much.

43.  Neither of my children ___________ (be) quiet at home.

44.  Five girls and a boy ____________ (sit) in the front row every day.

45.  Boys and girls ______________ (play) differently.

Exercise 30:  Fill in the blanks with the correct verb, please.

1.  Water and beer --------------- (be) liquids.

2.  Bottles of water --------------- (be) a rip off.

3.  Buying water in a bottle --------------- (be) a waste of money.

4.  A lot of boys --------------- (cause) trouble in high school classes.

5.  Drinking lots of soft drinks --------------- (make) a person fat.

6.  A few bad apples --------------- (cause) most of the problems in society.

7.  A little apple juice --------------- (be) on the floor.

8.  Some of my books --------------- (cost) a lot of money.

9.  Some good meat --------------- (cost) a lot of money.

10.  A policeman --------------- (direct) traffic if a traffic light is out.

11.  Most students --------------- (do) their homework.

12.  Mud on a person’s shoes --------------- (make) a mess on clean floors.

13.  Insects --------------- (not bother) me at night.

14.  Telephones today --------------- (be) different from phones when I was a boy.

15.  Dirt and water together --------------- (make) mud.

16.  Some movies in theaters --------------- (cost) only $3.00.

17.  Many American football players --------------- (weigh) over 300 pounds.

18.  Many of the people who live in Chinatown in Seattle --------------- (come) from China.

19.  Drinking too much alcohol --------------- (cause) some people to do stupid things.

20.  A drug from doctors --------------- (be) legal.

21.  A little noise --------------- (not disturb) me when I sleep.

22.  Writing these sentences --------------- (take) a lot of time.

Exercise 31:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the present tense, please.

1.  The girl who has a lot of dolls and stuffed animals -------------- (play) quietly with them.

2.  The boy, giving his three dogs a bath, --------------- (love) them very much.

3.  Men who never like to do housework --------------- (make) their wives angry.

4.  My aunt Grace, who owns two houses in the Boston area, --------------- (have) a lot of money.

5.  Rich people, often without children, --------------- (not understand) the problems of poor people.

6.  A small child --------------- (try) to do whatever adults can do.

7.  My son, who owns many musical instruments, --------------- (not play) the clarinet.

8.  My wife, who comes from Brazil, --------------- (speak) five languages.

9.  Running away from problems --------------- (not solve) any problems.

10.  Learning to speak in English --------------- (be) easier than learning to write in English.

11.  Boys who cause more trouble than girls do as young children --------------- (be) easier than girls to take care of when they get older.

12.  My student with her three sisters --------------- (come) to class late every day.

13.  A dog and a cat --------------- (live) in my neighbor’s house.

14.  To have a lot of animals as a young child --------------- (be) fun.

15.  My sister along with her five dogs --------------- (live) in Rhode Island.

16.  Eating cake with ice cream and strawberries --------------- (make) children very happy.

17.  Watching sports on TV while eating peanuts usually --------------- (result) in a messy room.

18.  Thinking of these sentences --------------- (take) a lot of time.

19.  A smiling face usually --------------- (mean) a person is happy.

20.  Children and students --------------- (need) to do homework.

21.  My neighbor, who writes newspaper articles, --------------- (work) in his garden every day.