Can present tense be used without an adverb like “usually” or “always” when describing a habit?
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0
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I understand we use the present tense when we describe habits.
"My dog always sleeps under the bed."
"It usually sits on the sofa."
Does it make sense if I leave 'always' and 'usually' out? as in the sentences below, without any background information?
"My dog sleeps under the bed."
"It sits on the sofa."
Are they complete sentences? or grammatically correct?
grammar tenses adverbs sentence-structure present-tense
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 43 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I understand we use the present tense when we describe habits.
"My dog always sleeps under the bed."
"It usually sits on the sofa."
Does it make sense if I leave 'always' and 'usually' out? as in the sentences below, without any background information?
"My dog sleeps under the bed."
"It sits on the sofa."
Are they complete sentences? or grammatically correct?
grammar tenses adverbs sentence-structure present-tense
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 43 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
4
The adverbs are not required.
– KarlG
Mar 13 at 14:25
1
Yes. This is the principal use of the present tense with active verbs. The real present time is referred to by the present progressive: My dog is sleeping under the bed.
– John Lawler
Mar 13 at 15:48
THANKS guys! So it’s not always necessary to add “adverbs” to a sentence with simple present tense? How about “My dog swims. It swims well.” Does this make sense? It seems like something is missing. Should I say “My dog can swim. It can swim well” instead?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 0:18
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I understand we use the present tense when we describe habits.
"My dog always sleeps under the bed."
"It usually sits on the sofa."
Does it make sense if I leave 'always' and 'usually' out? as in the sentences below, without any background information?
"My dog sleeps under the bed."
"It sits on the sofa."
Are they complete sentences? or grammatically correct?
grammar tenses adverbs sentence-structure present-tense
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
I understand we use the present tense when we describe habits.
"My dog always sleeps under the bed."
"It usually sits on the sofa."
Does it make sense if I leave 'always' and 'usually' out? as in the sentences below, without any background information?
"My dog sleeps under the bed."
"It sits on the sofa."
Are they complete sentences? or grammatically correct?
grammar tenses adverbs sentence-structure present-tense
grammar tenses adverbs sentence-structure present-tense
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
edited Nov 10 at 0:35
Laurel
29.4k655104
29.4k655104
asked Mar 13 at 14:14
user286503
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 43 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 43 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
4
The adverbs are not required.
– KarlG
Mar 13 at 14:25
1
Yes. This is the principal use of the present tense with active verbs. The real present time is referred to by the present progressive: My dog is sleeping under the bed.
– John Lawler
Mar 13 at 15:48
THANKS guys! So it’s not always necessary to add “adverbs” to a sentence with simple present tense? How about “My dog swims. It swims well.” Does this make sense? It seems like something is missing. Should I say “My dog can swim. It can swim well” instead?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 0:18
add a comment |
4
The adverbs are not required.
– KarlG
Mar 13 at 14:25
1
Yes. This is the principal use of the present tense with active verbs. The real present time is referred to by the present progressive: My dog is sleeping under the bed.
– John Lawler
Mar 13 at 15:48
THANKS guys! So it’s not always necessary to add “adverbs” to a sentence with simple present tense? How about “My dog swims. It swims well.” Does this make sense? It seems like something is missing. Should I say “My dog can swim. It can swim well” instead?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 0:18
4
4
The adverbs are not required.
– KarlG
Mar 13 at 14:25
The adverbs are not required.
– KarlG
Mar 13 at 14:25
1
1
Yes. This is the principal use of the present tense with active verbs. The real present time is referred to by the present progressive: My dog is sleeping under the bed.
– John Lawler
Mar 13 at 15:48
Yes. This is the principal use of the present tense with active verbs. The real present time is referred to by the present progressive: My dog is sleeping under the bed.
– John Lawler
Mar 13 at 15:48
THANKS guys! So it’s not always necessary to add “adverbs” to a sentence with simple present tense? How about “My dog swims. It swims well.” Does this make sense? It seems like something is missing. Should I say “My dog can swim. It can swim well” instead?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 0:18
THANKS guys! So it’s not always necessary to add “adverbs” to a sentence with simple present tense? How about “My dog swims. It swims well.” Does this make sense? It seems like something is missing. Should I say “My dog can swim. It can swim well” instead?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 0:18
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
My dog always sleeps under the bed
and
My dog sleeps under the bed
both convey the notion in both being that your dog habitually sleeps under the bed.
If you intend to completely precise, and your dog occasionally sleeps somewhere other than under the bed, then
My dog sleeps under the bed
will be more appropriate.
It usually sits on the sofa
is fine. There is an excellent chance the dog sits somewhere other than on the sofa.
It sits on the sofa
is also OK As far a grammar goes, both example sentences are fine. The adverbs would serve to create a fine, exact meaning. If that is desired, the adverbs should be used.
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
If I want to be more specific and clear about how often my dogs does that, then I'd use 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes'. But, without "the adverbs of frequency", the sentence itself totally makes sense. Am I right?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 1:06
Yes, of course. The adverbs add only specific meaning.
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 1:13
Does it apply to other verbs? For example, "My dog (often) touches my feet." I think it sounds OK without 'often'. How about "My dog swims fast." It doesn't sound right. I feel like, I need to say "My dog can swim fast." instead. But does "My dog swims fast" still make sense? is it a grammatically correct sentence?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 2:16
Everything you've mentioned is fine as to gram,mar
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 8:37
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Yes. Complete, grammatically correct sentence. Basic SVO structure with dependent clauses (led by prepositions "under" and "on"). Can come across as awkward in some contexts, but is actually a common construction. Listen carefully in conversation and you'll hear it.
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
My dog always sleeps under the bed
and
My dog sleeps under the bed
both convey the notion in both being that your dog habitually sleeps under the bed.
If you intend to completely precise, and your dog occasionally sleeps somewhere other than under the bed, then
My dog sleeps under the bed
will be more appropriate.
It usually sits on the sofa
is fine. There is an excellent chance the dog sits somewhere other than on the sofa.
It sits on the sofa
is also OK As far a grammar goes, both example sentences are fine. The adverbs would serve to create a fine, exact meaning. If that is desired, the adverbs should be used.
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
If I want to be more specific and clear about how often my dogs does that, then I'd use 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes'. But, without "the adverbs of frequency", the sentence itself totally makes sense. Am I right?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 1:06
Yes, of course. The adverbs add only specific meaning.
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 1:13
Does it apply to other verbs? For example, "My dog (often) touches my feet." I think it sounds OK without 'often'. How about "My dog swims fast." It doesn't sound right. I feel like, I need to say "My dog can swim fast." instead. But does "My dog swims fast" still make sense? is it a grammatically correct sentence?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 2:16
Everything you've mentioned is fine as to gram,mar
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 8:37
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
My dog always sleeps under the bed
and
My dog sleeps under the bed
both convey the notion in both being that your dog habitually sleeps under the bed.
If you intend to completely precise, and your dog occasionally sleeps somewhere other than under the bed, then
My dog sleeps under the bed
will be more appropriate.
It usually sits on the sofa
is fine. There is an excellent chance the dog sits somewhere other than on the sofa.
It sits on the sofa
is also OK As far a grammar goes, both example sentences are fine. The adverbs would serve to create a fine, exact meaning. If that is desired, the adverbs should be used.
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
If I want to be more specific and clear about how often my dogs does that, then I'd use 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes'. But, without "the adverbs of frequency", the sentence itself totally makes sense. Am I right?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 1:06
Yes, of course. The adverbs add only specific meaning.
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 1:13
Does it apply to other verbs? For example, "My dog (often) touches my feet." I think it sounds OK without 'often'. How about "My dog swims fast." It doesn't sound right. I feel like, I need to say "My dog can swim fast." instead. But does "My dog swims fast" still make sense? is it a grammatically correct sentence?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 2:16
Everything you've mentioned is fine as to gram,mar
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 8:37
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
My dog always sleeps under the bed
and
My dog sleeps under the bed
both convey the notion in both being that your dog habitually sleeps under the bed.
If you intend to completely precise, and your dog occasionally sleeps somewhere other than under the bed, then
My dog sleeps under the bed
will be more appropriate.
It usually sits on the sofa
is fine. There is an excellent chance the dog sits somewhere other than on the sofa.
It sits on the sofa
is also OK As far a grammar goes, both example sentences are fine. The adverbs would serve to create a fine, exact meaning. If that is desired, the adverbs should be used.
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
My dog always sleeps under the bed
and
My dog sleeps under the bed
both convey the notion in both being that your dog habitually sleeps under the bed.
If you intend to completely precise, and your dog occasionally sleeps somewhere other than under the bed, then
My dog sleeps under the bed
will be more appropriate.
It usually sits on the sofa
is fine. There is an excellent chance the dog sits somewhere other than on the sofa.
It sits on the sofa
is also OK As far a grammar goes, both example sentences are fine. The adverbs would serve to create a fine, exact meaning. If that is desired, the adverbs should be used.
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
answered Mar 13 at 15:49
J. Taylor
4,10531224
4,10531224
If I want to be more specific and clear about how often my dogs does that, then I'd use 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes'. But, without "the adverbs of frequency", the sentence itself totally makes sense. Am I right?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 1:06
Yes, of course. The adverbs add only specific meaning.
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 1:13
Does it apply to other verbs? For example, "My dog (often) touches my feet." I think it sounds OK without 'often'. How about "My dog swims fast." It doesn't sound right. I feel like, I need to say "My dog can swim fast." instead. But does "My dog swims fast" still make sense? is it a grammatically correct sentence?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 2:16
Everything you've mentioned is fine as to gram,mar
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 8:37
add a comment |
If I want to be more specific and clear about how often my dogs does that, then I'd use 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes'. But, without "the adverbs of frequency", the sentence itself totally makes sense. Am I right?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 1:06
Yes, of course. The adverbs add only specific meaning.
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 1:13
Does it apply to other verbs? For example, "My dog (often) touches my feet." I think it sounds OK without 'often'. How about "My dog swims fast." It doesn't sound right. I feel like, I need to say "My dog can swim fast." instead. But does "My dog swims fast" still make sense? is it a grammatically correct sentence?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 2:16
Everything you've mentioned is fine as to gram,mar
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 8:37
If I want to be more specific and clear about how often my dogs does that, then I'd use 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes'. But, without "the adverbs of frequency", the sentence itself totally makes sense. Am I right?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 1:06
If I want to be more specific and clear about how often my dogs does that, then I'd use 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes'. But, without "the adverbs of frequency", the sentence itself totally makes sense. Am I right?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 1:06
Yes, of course. The adverbs add only specific meaning.
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 1:13
Yes, of course. The adverbs add only specific meaning.
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 1:13
Does it apply to other verbs? For example, "My dog (often) touches my feet." I think it sounds OK without 'often'. How about "My dog swims fast." It doesn't sound right. I feel like, I need to say "My dog can swim fast." instead. But does "My dog swims fast" still make sense? is it a grammatically correct sentence?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 2:16
Does it apply to other verbs? For example, "My dog (often) touches my feet." I think it sounds OK without 'often'. How about "My dog swims fast." It doesn't sound right. I feel like, I need to say "My dog can swim fast." instead. But does "My dog swims fast" still make sense? is it a grammatically correct sentence?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 2:16
Everything you've mentioned is fine as to gram,mar
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 8:37
Everything you've mentioned is fine as to gram,mar
– J. Taylor
Mar 14 at 8:37
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Yes. Complete, grammatically correct sentence. Basic SVO structure with dependent clauses (led by prepositions "under" and "on"). Can come across as awkward in some contexts, but is actually a common construction. Listen carefully in conversation and you'll hear it.
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Yes. Complete, grammatically correct sentence. Basic SVO structure with dependent clauses (led by prepositions "under" and "on"). Can come across as awkward in some contexts, but is actually a common construction. Listen carefully in conversation and you'll hear it.
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Yes. Complete, grammatically correct sentence. Basic SVO structure with dependent clauses (led by prepositions "under" and "on"). Can come across as awkward in some contexts, but is actually a common construction. Listen carefully in conversation and you'll hear it.
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
Yes. Complete, grammatically correct sentence. Basic SVO structure with dependent clauses (led by prepositions "under" and "on"). Can come across as awkward in some contexts, but is actually a common construction. Listen carefully in conversation and you'll hear it.
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
answered Oct 10 at 23:11
Carly
1,491213
1,491213
add a comment |
add a comment |
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4
The adverbs are not required.
– KarlG
Mar 13 at 14:25
1
Yes. This is the principal use of the present tense with active verbs. The real present time is referred to by the present progressive: My dog is sleeping under the bed.
– John Lawler
Mar 13 at 15:48
THANKS guys! So it’s not always necessary to add “adverbs” to a sentence with simple present tense? How about “My dog swims. It swims well.” Does this make sense? It seems like something is missing. Should I say “My dog can swim. It can swim well” instead?
– user286503
Mar 14 at 0:18