Mada za sehemu hiiUse appropriate grammar and vocabulary both orally and in writingMada 4
- Use personal pronouns
- Express possession using the verbs have and has
- Express routines and ongoing activities in school and home contexts (target: simple present tense, present continuous tense)
- Use conjunctions in oral and written contexts (target: and, but)
Expressing Routines and Ongoing Activities
In English, we use two different tenses to talk about actions. The simple present tense tells about actions we do regularly (routines). The present continuous tense tells about actions happening right now (ongoing activities).
A routine is something we do every day, every week, or regularly. We use the simple present tense to describe routines.
How to Form the Simple Present
| Subject | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I, We, They | base verb (clean, play) | They clean the classroom. |
| He, She, It | verb + s or es (cleans, goes) | She cleans the compound. |
Important Notes
- For most verbs, add -s to the verb: play → plays, clean → cleans
- For verbs ending in -y (consonant + y), change -y to -ies: study → studies
- For verbs ending in -s, -x, -z, -ch, -sh, add -es: watch → watches, go → goes
Examples from Daily Life
- I wake up at six o'clock every morning.
- She waters the plants every day.
- He goes to school every weekday.
- We eat lunch at twelve o'clock.
- They play football every evening.
An ongoing activity is something happening right now, at the moment of speaking. We use the present continuous tense to describe these actions.
How to Form the Present Continuous
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
| Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | am + verb-ing | I am reading a book. |
| He, She, It | is + verb-ing | She is cooking. |
| We, You, They | are + verb-ing | They are swimming. |
Examples from Daily Life
- Look! She is watering the flowers now.
- He is riding his bicycle at the moment.
- They are playing basketball in the field.
- My mother is cooking in the kitchen.
- The pupils are cleaning the classroom.
| Simple Present | Present Continuous |
|---|---|
| Things we do regularly | Things happening right now |
| Every day, every morning | Look! Listen! At the moment |
| I clean the toilet every morning. | I am cleaning the toilet now. |
| She washes clothes on Saturday. | She is washing clothes now. |
Look at these sentences and decide which tense to use:
- I _______ (go) to school every day. → go (routine)
- Listen! The teacher _______ (teach) the pupils. → is teaching (ongoing)
- My mother _______ (cook) dinner every evening. → cooks (routine)
- What _______ you _______ (do) now? → are ... doing (ongoing)
Simple Present (Routines)
- I _______ (brush) my teeth every morning.
- He _______ (eat) lunch at twelve o'clock.
- We _______ (go) to school every weekday.
- She _______ (clean) the classroom on Fridays.
Present Continuous (Ongoing Activities)
- She _______ (wash) the clothes now.
- They _______ (play) basketball at the moment.
- He _______ (read) a book at this time.
- The pupils _______ (sweep) the classroom.
When you talk with friends at school, you often need to describe what you do every day and what is happening right now. For example, if your mwalimu asks you "What are you doing?" you can say "I am cleaning the classroom." And when you tell your friend about your home routine, you can say "I wake up at six o'clock every morning" or "I water the plants every evening after school." Using the correct tense helps others understand whether you are talking about a regular habit or something happening now.
Swali
What does Juma do every morning before school?
Ingia ili kuwasilisha jibu lako na lihesabiwe katika umahiri wako.
Ingia ili kufanya mazoeziMwalimu
Umekwama? Niulize chochote kuhusu mada hii.
Ingia ili kumuuliza Mwalimu wa AI wa Sonza kuhusu swali hili.
Ingia ili kuuliza