SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
(Part 1)
We use the present simple :
1. To talk about activities that repeat regularly (routines, habits)
• Peter goes to work by bus.
• My friends learn English.
• I drink coffee every morning.
2. To talk about permanent situations and states:
• I have two cats and a dog.
• We like animals.
• The Smiths don't enjoy big parties.
3. To talk about general truths:
• The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
• If you mix yellow and blue, you get green.
• The earth is round.
4. To talk about future official events or timetables which we cannot change:
• The train leaves at 6.25.a.m.
• The lessons start at 8.a.m.
5. We often use the following time adverbials with the present simple:
• always, usually, regularly,
• every morning/night/ evening/afternoon,
• often, sometimes, occasionally,
• from time to time, twice a week, rarely, seldom,
• once a month ,hardly ever, never
6. Always, usually, regularly,
rarely, seldom, often, occasionally, hardly ever, never
appear between the subject and the verb :
• I always walk to school.
• He regularly swims and plays tennis.
• Some people never tell truth.
7. Other adverbials usually appear at the end or at the beginning of the sentence:
• I have a hair cut once a month.
• From time to time my family go for a picnic in the forest.
S: They/ We/ I/ You --- S + Verb 1
He/ She/ It --- S + Verb1(s/es) Present simple statements:
• I like English He likes English
• You study English She studies English
S + V1
3 rd person singular – y ending changes to - ies Examples:
He hurries home. (hurry)
Present simple negatives
I don’t like English We don’t like English You don’t like English They don’t like English She doesn’t like English
He doesn’t like English It doesn’t like English
S + do not/ does not + V1
Present simple questions
• Do you study English ? Yes, I do
• Does she study English? Yes, she does
• Does he study English? No, he doesn’t
• Does it study English? Yes, It does
• Do we study English? Yes, we do
• Do they study English? No, they don’t
Do/ Does+ S + V1?
Present simple questions with Question Words
• What do you do? I study English.
• What do they do? They study English.
• When do you study English?
• When does she study English?
• Where do you study? I study at the campus.
• Where does she study? She studies at the campus.
QW+ do/ does+ S + V1?
We use questions with How often ...?
to ask about the frequency of something happening:
•How often do you go swimming? Once a week.
•How often does the manager go away? Twice a month.
•How often does she watch television? Every evening.
