Describing Personal Habits or Routines - use the simple present ( I + verb)

Many of you wrote about things you did routinely or habitually in the morning, consequently the verb style (tense) you should have been using was the simple present tense .... (e.g.: I tell myself ; I watch dramas, so I am tired when I wake up)   

Review:

Source:  Simple Present

Verb Tenses: Simple Present

SIMPLE PRESENT

(See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present')

The simple present is used:

1. to express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:
   I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city (general truth)
2. to give instructions or directions:
   You walk for two hundred metres, then you turn left.
3. to express fixed arrangements, present or future:
   Your exam starts at 09.00
4. to express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
   He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

BE CAREFUL! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now. See Present Continuous.

Examples

1. For habitsHe drinks tea at breakfast.
   She only eats fish.
   They watch television regularly.
2. For repeated actions or eventsWe catch the bus every morning.
   It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
   They drive to Monaco every summer.
3. For general truths
   Water freezes at zero degrees.
   The Earth revolves around the Sun.
   Her mother is Peruvian.
4. For instructions or directionsOpen the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
   You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.
5. For fixed arrangementsHis mother arrives tomorrow.
   Our holiday starts on the 26th March
6. With future constructionsShe'll see you before she leaves.
   We'll give it to her when she arrives.

Simple present, third person singular

Note:

1. he, she, it: in the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
   he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.
2. Negative and question forms use DOES (=the third person of the auxiliary'DO') + the infinitive of the verb.
   He wants. Does he want? He does not want.
3. Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
   fly  flies, cry  cries
   Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
   play  plays, pray  prays
4. Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
   he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present', and 'Be, do & have'

Examples

1. Third person singular with s or -es

• He goes to school every morning.
• She understands English.
• It mixes the sand and the water.
• He tries very hard.
• She enjoys playing the piano.

2. Simple present, form

Example: to think, present simple

Affirmative	Interrogative	Negative
I think	Do I think ?	I do not think.
You think	Do you think?	You don't think.
he, she, it thinks	Does he, she, it think?	He, she, it doesn't think.
we think	Do we think?	We don't think.
you think	Do you think?	You don't think.

Incomplete Sentence: Too many of you have this habit

Source:  Advice on Sentence Fragments: Examples and solutions

Since he came to New York. Because my dog loves it. Unless you see me. Is there anything wrong with these sentences?  All of these sentences end too quickly.  After reading these sentences, the reader asks questions because he/she needs more information. Sentence Fragment The Reader Asks... Since he came to New York.   Since he came, what (has he been doing)? Because my dog loves it.    Because the dog loves it, (so what)? Unless you see me.   Unless you see me, what (will happen)? These sentences have incomplete ideas and end too quickly.  They are calledsentence fragments.  Take a look at the following sentences: I slept. Jim flew the plane. He cried. Are these sentence fragments?  The answer is no.  Now, you may want to ask, “These last three sentences are shorter than the first three.  Why aren’t the last three sentence fragments?”  That’s a great question.  We’re glad you asked. Let’s explain.  book recommendation Action Grammar: Fast, Easy Answers on Everyday Usage and PunctuationThe author, Joanne Feierman, focuses on the grammar most of us need in everyday life, from "Five Lies Your English Teacher Told You" to "Simple Business Verbs You Should Know." She also includes helpful sections on memos, letter writing, and e-mail etiquette, as well as an appendix of troublesome words and phrases, and words that are easy to misspell.  Click here for more information. A sentence fragment has nothing to do with size or amount of words.  Therefore, a very short sentence with a complete idea is NOT a sentence fragment.  A sentence fragment is a sentence that is incomplete.  It is incomplete because it is either a phrase or a dependent clause.   However, we do not want to get too complicated here.  Therefore, let's us define what a sentence is.  A sentence consists of 3 components: 1 subject the person, place, or thing performing or doing the action 2 verb the action 3 complete idea the reader isn't left waiting for another word Take a look at this sentence: I hit the ball. Subject=I Verb=hit Is it a complete idea? Yes. Therefore, this is a good sentence. The ball is a direct object.  Not all sentences require a direct object.  For example Birds fly. Subject=birds Verb=fly Is it a complete idea? Yes. There is no direct object here; however, it is still a complete idea and a good sentence. Here's another example. I take. Subject=I Verb=take Is it a complete idea? No. This sentence requires a direct object.  This sentence is called a sentence fragment.  It is actually the verb which determines whether the sentence requires a direct object or not.  If the sentence requires a direct object, it is called a transitive verb.  If the verb does not need a direct object, it is called anintransitive verb.  If you are unsure about some verbs, use a dictionary.  Dictionaries often denote transitive and intransitive verbs with the initials t.v. and i.v., respectively.  So, what's a sentence fragment?  A sentence fragment is a sentence that lacks a subject or lacks a verb or is not a complete idea (one reason could be because it does not have a direct object if the verb needs one). Here's one more example. Murray takes the train to school Mom rides the bus. Subject=Murray AND Mom Verb=takes AND rides Is it a complete idea? It is TWO complete ideas.  Therefore, this is a run-on sentence.  For more information on run-on sentences, please see our lesson on this subject by clicking here. One more way to find a sentence fragment Sometimes the sentence has a subject, verb, and direct object, but it is still a sentence fragment.  How?  If a sentence contains one of any of the words on the following 2 blackboards, the sentence requires a second part to finish the idea. Therefore, if you use any of the words on these lists, you MUST add another part. Blackboard #1 after   even if   once whenever   although even though only if   whereas   as   every time since whether or not   as if   if   the first time whichever   as soon as   in case though whoever   because in the event that unless while   before   just in case until    by the time   now that   when   If you use any of the following prepositions, which are usually used to create prepositional phrases, you MUST add another part, or you will probably write a sentence fragment.   Blackboard #2 Prepositions about   beneath in till   above   beside into to across besides like   toward after between near   under against beyond of   underneath along   by   off   until   among despite on up   around down out upon at during over   with before except   since within behind for through   without   below   from throughout     For example Look at the following sentence: Because you wanted it. Since you bought the radio. Do these two sentences have subjects, verbs, and direct objects (if needed)? YES.  Are they sentence fragments?  YES.  Why?  They both contain words from the two blackboards.  They need second parts: I gave you the ice cream because you wanted it. Since you bought the plane tickets, I will pay for the hotel room. Now, these are good sentences. How do you fix it? We suggest 3 ways to fix sentence fragments: book recommendation Better Sentence Writing in 30 Minutes a Dayfeatures clear discussions of rules and strategies for good writing. Clear explanations and lots of exercises reinforce the skills needed for strong written communication. From filling in the blanks to joining short sentences into longer and more graceful combinations, this book will improve your writing. All the answers to the quizzes are given in the back of the book.  Click here for more information. Method #1 Attach the sentence fragment to another sentence.  That other sentence could be before or after the sentence fragment.  Sentence Fragment Fixed and Now a Complete Sentence After seeing the doctor. I felt much better after seeing the doctor.   -or- After seeing the doctor, I felt much better. Method #2 Add a subject, verb, or both to make the sentence complete. Sentence Fragment Fixed and Now a Complete Sentence Under the bed.   I found my socks under the bed.   Method #3   Take away the word or phrase that makes it a sentence fragment. Sentence Fragment Fixed and Now a Complete Sentence While Fred was in Paris. Fred was in Paris. NOTE:  If you use method #3, make sure the meaning does not change.  The words and phrases listed above usually add important information to the sentence.  Therefore, if you take them out, the meaning may change.  Be careful! Quiz Directions: The following paragraph contains five sentence fragments.  Find the sentence fragments and correct them using one of the above two methods.   My Wonderful Discovery      After I had gotten up.  I ate my breakfast.  While I was eating breakfast.  I heard a squeaking sound at my door.  It was a little puppy that was crying.  I wept.  It was really cute.  That I picked it up and took it inside in order to give the puppy a big bowl of warm milk and a soft blanket.   I took the day off so that I could take him to the veterinarian.  The vet told me he was fine.  Because I had given him what he needed: milk and a warm blanket.  He still needed a home.  I asked all my friends to take him. They wanted the little guy.  However, they couldn't keep pets in their apartments.  By the time we got home.  Now, he is my pet and friend.

s.f.= sentence fragment  My Wonderful Discovery      After I had gotten up.  I ate my breakfast.  While I was eating breakfast.  I heard a squeaking sound at my door.  It was a little puppy that was crying.  I wept.  It was really cute.  That I picked it up and took it inside in order to give the puppy a big bowl of warm milk and a soft blanket.   I took the day off so that I could take him to the veterinarian.  The vet told me he was fine.  Because I had given him what he needed: milk and a warm blanket.  He still needed a home.  I asked all my friends to take him. They wanted the little guy.  However, they couldn't keep pets in their apartments.  By the time we got home.  Now, he is my pet and friend. 1.  The first s.f. is the first sentence.  It has the word "after," which is on blackboard #2. This sentence needs another part to complete the idea. 3.  "That I picked it up..." is the third s.f. because of the word "that."  This sentence is very long, but it is an incomplete idea. 2.  The third sentence is our second s.f.  It has the word "while," which is from blackboard #2.  "I wept" is a very short sentence, but it is NOT a sentence fragment. 4.  "Because I had given him..." is the fourth s.f.  The word "because" makes this sentence a dependent clause. 5.  "By the time we got home..." is our fifth s.f.  "By the time" is from blackboard #1.

The corrected version is. . .   My Wonderful Discovery      After I had gotten up, I ate my breakfast.  While I was eating breakfast, I heard a squeaking sound at my door.  It was a little puppy that was crying.  I wept.  It was really cute.  I picked it up and took it inside in order to give the puppy a big bowl of warm milk and a soft blanket.   I took the day off so that I could take him to the veterinarian.  The vet told me he was fine because I had given him what he needed: milk and a warm blanket.  He still needed a home.  I asked all my friends to take him. They wanted the little guy.  However, they couldn't keep pets in their apartments.  By the time we got home, I had realized that I should keep him.  Now, he is my pet and friend.

Rules to Remember!

1	Sentence fragments can make your writing very confusing.  Avoid sentence fragments in professional writing, formal writing, essays, business letters, and compositions.
2	Sentence fragments are written and acceptable in the following types of writing: poetry quotes and quoted speech (click here to see more about this subject). plays Sentence fragments are acceptable in these situations because the author wants to capture what was actually said or felt.
3	See our lesson run-on sentences to better understand this topic.

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Motivation & Ambition - - Get it!

Excerpt for  Ambition: Taiwanese students lag

Taiwanese comparing themselves to people in China argue they’re healthier, wealthier, more polite and better off as a democracy than a Communist state. A foreigner who points out something amiss in Taiwan, perhaps traffic danger or environmental degradation, risks the rebuke that things are worse in China. The two sides have a natural rivalry because both are predominantly ethnic Chinese with the much larger, more powerful China claiming sovereignty over Taiwan since the island became self-ruled in the 1940s. China also tries to curb Taiwan’s foreign relations and, occasionally,economic growth.

But China normally changes fast while in Taiwan you meet people who return after 30 years saying they recognize every shop on a given block. Taiwan could stand a few changes as China chews into its lifeblood high-tech contracting, leaving the island economy with little new direction. There are short lessons: Try adding yards, sidewalks and setbacks between flats and roads. Those measures common in China’s cities would ease urban density in Taiwan and increase breathing space (even if China’s air is filthy). Taiwan might also follow China’s lead in stoking pride in traditional culture, for example brewing pots of loose leaf tea in public teahouses instead of writing it off as an “old people’s” drink just for home consumption.

But the toughest lesson — an answer to the growing grumble among Taiwanese about lacking direction – comes down to ambition.....

Change should start from early education, you hear Taiwanese say. Elementary schools focus now on rote learning and following the authority of a teacher who talks through a microphone for hours with no class discussion. I’ve heard the same about schools in China. But when I taught writing at a mainstream university in Beijing 10 years ago, students experimented freely with new storytelling devices and a lot didn’t mind talking in class. I’ve taught a weekly university journalism class in Taipei for almost two years and must beg or threaten local students to participate. The brightest find ways to skip as many lessons as possible and still pass the class.

My students from Beijing would turn up a year or two after graduation in the country’s top media jobs, watching or stabbing backs as needed to build careers. Or they might be getting an MBA with an import-export business brewing in the background. A lot went overseas for advanced degrees or professional jobs, not easy given visa restrictions. Rack it up to ambition.

Problems viewed in this weeks' writing

Prepositions of Place: at, on, and in

We use at for specific addresses.
Grammar English lives at 55 Boretz Road in Durham.

We use on to designate names of streets, avenues, etc.
Her house is on Boretz Road.

And we use in for the names of land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents).
She lives in Durham.
Durham is in Windham County.
Windham County is in Connecticut.

Prepositions of Location: in, at, and on and No Preposition
IN (the) bed* the bedroom the car (the) class* the library* school*	AT class* home the library* the office school* work	ON the bed* the ceiling the floor the horse the plane the train	NO PREPOSITION downstairs downtown inside outside upstairs uptown
* You may sometimes use different prepositions for these locations.

Source     http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm

Prepositions of Time: at, on, and in

We use at to designate specific times.
The train is due at 12:15 p.m.

We use on to designate days and dates.
My brother is coming on Monday.
We're having a party on the Fourth of July.

We use in for nonspecific times during a day, a month, a season, or a year.
She likes to jog in the morning.
It's too cold in winter to run outside.
He started the job in 1971.
He's going to quit in August.

Source     http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm