（18）现在时态（The Present Tenses）

Ⅰ. 单纯现在时态（The present tense simple）可用来表示：

a. 现在的动作：See！The bird flies.

b. 永久不变之真理：The earth goes round the sun.

c. 习惯的行为，反复的事件：He teaches English. She keeps her word. The boy goes to school everyday.

d. 将来时的代用：（1）I leave here tomorrow.（2）（在表示时及条件的副词节中）I shall not start if it rains. Please tell him so when he comes. 但在名词节时则仍须用将来时：I do not know if it will rain. I cannot tell when he will come.

e. 现在完成时的代用：（say、tell、hear、be told、write、read、find 等）My father writes（= has written）to say that I may go to Tainan. I hear（= have heard）that he will soon be married.

f. 过去事件用现在时来叙述，使其跃如眼前，故又称为历史的现在（Historical Present），或剧的现在（Dramatic Present）。

Caesar leaves there，crosses the Rubicon，and enters Italy with 5,000 men.

Ⅱ. 现在进行时态（Present continuous tense）用来表示：

1. 现在进行中的事：He is reading a book.

2. 以现在为中心而反复继续的行为：He is writing a book on electricity.

3. 动作之开端：She is dying.

4. 将来时的代用：He is coming to see me tonight.

5. 以现在为中心的习常行为：My father is always smoking.

练习题（30）

将括号中的动词用为单纯现在或现在进行时：

1. The train（leave）the station at 4 p. m. every day.

2. At present I（stay）with my aunt.

3. Every morning I（stay）in bed.

4. The sun（rise）in the morning.

5. The monks（hold）a service now.

6. These tourists（travel）round the world.

7. The Chinese（inhabit）a large region.

8. Hark！The bells of the temple（ring）.

9. Letters（write）very quickly on a typewriter.

10. He（play）tennis better than you do.

11. They（have）a big sale on shoes at Macy’s today.

12. John often（stay）in a hotel when he（come）to town，but tonight he（stay）with us.

13. John seems very busy，I guess he（prepare）his English lesson.

14. The sun always（rise）in the east.

15. The sun（rise）in the east now.

16. The rain（fall）heavily today.

17. Listen！The clock（strike）.

18. This afternoon the children（play）in the park.

19. This careless child（lose）his clothes too often.

20. Our side（lose）in this game.

21. When you（leave）for Europe？I understand that Mr. Smith（leave）next Saturday.

22. My mother（come）to see me next week.

23. I（go）to the seashore on my vacation.

24. On what train your friends（arrive）？

25. At present they（build）many new highways in New York State.