THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR: A COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL STUDY OF PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES

Abstract

This article presents a comparative and analytical study of the Present Simple tense in English grammar based on the perspectives of major pedagogical grammarians, including Raymond Murphy, Betty Schrampfer Azar, Michael Swan, as well as Oxford and Cambridge grammar traditions. The paper examines how the Present Simple tense is conceptualized in terms of form, meaning, and use, with particular attention to habituality, general truth, stative meaning, and pedagogical presentation. By analyzing these approaches sequentially, the study identifies both shared principles and methodological differences. The findings emphasize the necessity of integrating grammatical accuracy with semantic and communicative interpretation in the teaching and learning of the Present Simple tense. The article concludes with generalizations relevant to grammar instruction and applied linguistics research.