Question

Which of the following sentence(s) is not in the simple present tense:

• A. We catch the bus every morning.
• B. It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
• C. They watched television regularly.
• D. Our holiday starts on the 27th March.

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

They watched television regularly.

The tense of a sentence denotes a time, whether it is the time now (present), time then (past) or the time to come (future). The verb of a sentence has most to do with the tense. The simple present tense describes an action that takes place on a daily basis, like a routine or habit, it also refers to a general truth, like 'ice is cold'. In options A and B, a habit and custom are mentioned, respectively, "catch the bus", "rains every afternoon", hence they are in the simple present tense. Since we have to choose an option that is not in this tense form, options A and B are incorrect. A simple present tense can also refer to a future event that is a fixed date, like in option D, "starts on the 27th", it's in the simple present tense, hence option D is also incorrect. Option C is in the simple past tense, describing an action that completed in the past "watched television". Since it isn't in the simple present tense, option C is correct.