Sometimes the spelling of regular plurals is disguised by the spelling rule that governs the use of a final silent e. The basic rule is that we add a final silent e to show that the preceding vowel is long. For example, compare the following words. | 132 Verb Phrases We will now turn to an examination of what the various combinations of time and category actually mean and how they are used. Simple category of tenses In this section we examine the three simple category verbs simple present simple past and future. Present tense One of the most confusing features of the present tense for nonnative speakers is that the presenttense verb form does not actually mean present time. The two most common uses of the present tense are for making timeless factual statements and for describing habitual actions. The present tense is used to state timeless that is not bound or limited by time objective facts. For example In the Fahrenheit scale water boils at 212 degrees. This statement is not tied to any moment of time. It is a universal generalization that is valid forever. Here is another example in which the timeless nature of the factual statement is not so obvious My grandmother lives in a nursing home. The speaker s grandmother has not always lived in a nursing home and at some point in the future she will not be living in the nursing home. The use of the present tense signals that for the foreseeable immediate future the speaker s grandmother is expected to stay in a nursing home. If the speaker had used the present progressive tense My grandmother is living in a nursing home. it would change the meaning completely. The sentence is now tied to the present moment. The grandmother is in a nursing home now but there is no implication that she is expected to stay there indefinitely. Here are more examples of timeless factual statements in the present tense Christmas falls on Sunday this year. The moon and the earth rotate around a common center of gravity. Cucumbers make my skin itch. My son lives in Sacramento. Verb Tenses 133 The present tense is also used for making timeless generalizations assertions and observations. For example Smoking causes cancer. Everyone hates Mondays. Airplanes get more crowded every day. My .
