Short Answers in Present Tense (2024)

Short Answers in Present Tense (1)

English Grammar Rules


Short Answers with Do and Does

In questions that use do/does it is possible to give short answers, to direct questions as follows:

Sample Questions Short Answer
(Affirmative)
Short Answer
(Negative)
Do I need a ticket? Yes, you do. No, you don't.
Do you need a dictionary? Yes, I do. No, I don't.
Do you both speak English? Yes, we do. No, we don't.
Do they need help? Yes, they do. No, they don't.
Does he like chocolate? Yes, he does. No, he doesn't.
Does she want to come? Yes, she does. No, she doesn't.
Does it have four legs? Yes, it does. No, it doesn't.

Short Answers with To Be

In questions that use Is or Are it is possible to give short answers as follows:

Sample Questions Short Answer
(Affirmative)
Short Answer
(Negative)
Am I early? Yes, you are. No, you aren't.
Are you busy now? Yes, I am. No, I'm not.
Are you both surprised? Yes, we are. No, we aren't.
Are they hungry? Yes, they are. No, they aren't.
Is he late again? Yes, he is. No, he isn't.
Is she a good student? Yes, she is. No, she isn't.
Is it ready? Yes, it is. No, it isn't.

In most cases, it is possible to give a short answer or a long answer to a question in English. In casual conversation, short answers are much more common than long answers. Long answers are for more formal conversations or if you want to give more information in your response.

Examples

  • Do you like seafood?
    - Yes, I do
    - No, I don't.
  • Can you speak German?
    - Yes, I can
    - No, I can't.
  • Is there a hotel in this street?
    - Yes, there is
    - No, there isn't.
  • Are they coming to the movies?
    - Yes, they are
    - No, they aren't.

If you look at the examples above you will notice that the answer uses the first verb in the question (even if it is an auxiliary verb). This is a common characteristic of short answers in English. Contrast that to long answers to each of those questions:

  • Do you like seafood?
    - Yes, I like seafood.
    - No, I don't like seafood.
  • Can you speak German?
    - Yes, I can speak German.
    - No, I can't speak German.
  • Is there a hotel in this street?
    - Yes, there is a hotel at the end of this street.
    - No, there isn't a hotel in this street.
  • Are they coming to the movies?
    - Yes, they are coming to the movies.
    - No, they are not coming to the movies.

You will notice that long answers often sound repetitive. A long answer to one of these questions would be considered very formal in English, and in most cases, unnecessary.

Remember, when you are accepting or refusing something to say 'yes, please' or 'no, thank you'. It is much more common to give short answers to questions like these:

  • Would you like a beer?
    Yes, please.
  • Do you need any help?
    No, thank you.


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Short Answers in Present Tense (2024)

FAQs

Short Answers in Present Tense? ›

In grammar, the present tenses of a verb are the ones that are used to talk about things that happen regularly or situations that exist at this time. The simple present tense uses the base form or the 's' form of a verb, as in 'I play tennis twice a week' and 'She works in a bank'. 4.

What is present in a short answer? ›

In grammar, the present tenses of a verb are the ones that are used to talk about things that happen regularly or situations that exist at this time. The simple present tense uses the base form or the 's' form of a verb, as in 'I play tennis twice a week' and 'She works in a bank'. 4.

What are short answers examples? ›

Short Answers
QuestionAffirmativeNegative
Do we know him?Yes, we do.No, we don't.
Can she see me?Yes, she can.No, she can't.
Have they read the book?Yes, they have.No, they haven't.
Is he hungry?Yes, he is.No, he isn't.

What is tense short answers? ›

A tense is a form of the verb that allows you to express time. The tense of the verb tells us when an event or something existed or when a person did something. Past, present, and future are the three main types of tenses.

What is the present tense for answer? ›

Indicative
presentⓘ present simple or simple present
Ianswer
youanswer
he, she, itanswers
weanswer
2 more rows

What are 5 examples of present tense? ›

Examples
  • 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.

How do you write short answers? ›

Use plain language and keep your writing straight to the point. Use the words from the question in your answer to signpost your answer for the marker.

How to use a short answer? ›

Getting Started with Short Answer
  1. Click the “Add New Question” button on your Short Answer dashboard.
  2. Next, type your question in the question field at the top of the page. ...
  3. At this point, you can customize the feedback criteria for your new question. ...
  4. You've now created your first question on Short Answer!

What is the perfect present tense? ›

The present perfect tense is an English verb tense used for past actions that are related to or continue into the present. It's easily recognized by the auxiliary verbs (or helper verbs) have and has, as in, “I have gone fishing since I was a child.”

What is the simple present tense with example and answer? ›

The simple present tense is when you use a verb to tell about things that happen continually in the present, like every day, every week, or every month. We use the simple present tense for anything that happens often or is factual. Here are a few examples: I go to school every day.

What is simple present tense question? ›

We can ask questions using the question words who, what, where, when, why, and how. If a question starts with one of these words, it is not a yes/no question. In this lesson, we will focus on the words why and who. "Why" asks about a reason.

What are present tense questions? ›

Here are some examples:
  • Where do you work?
  • What does he do?
  • How do they come here?
  • When do we start?
  • Why do they play football so late?
  • What does she like doing at the weekend?
  • Where do you go to the cinema?
  • When do we leave?

What is the meaning of the present? ›

[ C ] something that is given without being asked for, esp. on a special occasion or to say thank you; a gift: a birthday/wedding/graduation present.

What is present in a sentence? ›

the present (tense)

the form of the verb that is used to show what happens or exists now: The verb in this sentence is in the present.

What is the term of present? ›

The word present has multiple meanings, most of which concern giving (a present is a gift) or time (the present is right now). The verb present might mean to deliver something like a speech, or perform something like a play.

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