Table of Contents

The present simple

Introduction

 couple, dogs    I love my dog!!


Definition

The present simple is one of the two present tenses. The other one is the present continuous.

 

Construction

Affirmative

Subject + verb/verb with s or es - I like cheese.

We add s or es to the end of regular verbs with he, she or it.

 

Anne loves chocolate.

Thierry misses his wife.

The train arrives at 10 o'clock.

 

It is important to pronounce the s or es.

 

Negative

Subject + do + not + bare infinitive - I don't like cheese.


Interrogative

Do + subject + bare infinitive - Do you like cheese?

Negative

Interrogative

 

I don't work

You don't work

He doesn't work

She doesn't work

It doesn't work

We don't work

They don't work

 

Do I work?

Do you work?

Does he work?

Does she work?

Does it work?

Do we work?

Do they work?

 


Does sounds like dʌz.

Doesn't sounds like dʌzənt.


Irregular verbs

There are some irregular verbs, including 'do', 'go' and 'have'.

Regular verbs

Do

Go

Have

 

I work

You work

He works

She works

It works

We work

They work

 

 

I do

You do

He does

She does

It does

We do

They do

 

I go

You go

He goes

She goes

It goes

We go

They go

 

I have

You have

He has

She has

It has

We have

They have

 





Uses

Uses

Examples

 

To state general facts

 

 

The sun rises in the east.

Australians speak English.

 

 

To give information

 

 

I like coffee.

She lives in London.

He plays tennis.

This plane flies to Paris.

 

 

To talk about repeated actions, habits or routines

 

 

I leave work at 5pm.

I go to the gym on Fridays.

 





Examples

I don't work on Fridays.

He doesn't like his job.

She doesn't drink coffee in the evening.

He doesn't play tennis.

They don't live in London.

 

Does he work in this office?

Do Bill and Ted drink tea or coffee?

Do Mexicans speak Spanish?

Does she have an appointment?

Do you wash your hair every day?




Time phrases

We use time phrases with the present simple:

 

We have a team meeting every week.

I take the children to school every morning.

I go to the dentist one time a year.

She does the shopping on Saturdays.


Pronunciation of present tense regular verbs

/s/ sound after soft consonants

 

 

no extra syllable

/z/ sound after hard consonants and vowel sounds

 

no extra syllable

 

/Iz/ sound after /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/, z, /ks/ and /dʒ/

 

this adds an extra syllable

 

Change y to i and add es when verb ends in a consonant and y.

 

no extra syllable

likes           shops

talks           stops

walks         laughs

works        wants

waits          sits

drinks        eats

 

orders       plays

ends          listens

loves         needs

lives

arrives

learns

 

misses

watches

finishes

manages

fixes

washes

 

hurry   hurryi +es    hurries

fly                              flies

study                        studies

 

 


Example

Xavier goes to work at 8am but he sometimes misses the bus. On Friday afternoons, he does the shopping and he watches TV in the evenings. He washes his car every Sunday and fixes any problems. He has a son. He helps his father.

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