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Third Person Singular in Simple Present

The document discusses the simple present tense in English. It notes that the third person singular takes -s (he walks) or -es (he catches) and is formed with does/do in questions and negatives (Does he walk? He does not walk). Exceptions for verbs ending in consonant-y or vowel-change are also covered. The simple present is used to express habits, general truths, instructions, and future time indicated by words like after or until. Examples are provided to illustrate its use.

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Nurzafira Adila
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13 views2 pages

Third Person Singular in Simple Present

The document discusses the simple present tense in English. It notes that the third person singular takes -s (he walks) or -es (he catches) and is formed with does/do in questions and negatives (Does he walk? He does not walk). Exceptions for verbs ending in consonant-y or vowel-change are also covered. The simple present is used to express habits, general truths, instructions, and future time indicated by words like after or until. Examples are provided to illustrate its use.

Uploaded by

Nurzafira Adila
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

SIMPLE PRESENT

(See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present')

Simple present, third person singular

Note:

1. he, she, it: in the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.

2. Negative and question forms use DOES (=the third person of the auxiliary'DO') + the
infinitive of the verb.
He wants. Does he want? He does not want.

3. Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:


fly flies, cry cries

Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:


play plays, pray prays

4. Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:


he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present', and 'Be, do & have'

Examples:

1. Third person singular with s or -es

 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.

2. Simple present, form

Example: to think, present simple

Affirmative Interrogative Negative


I think Do I think ? I do not think.
You think Do you think? You don't think.
he, she, it thinks Does he, she, it think? He, she, it doesn't think.
we think Do we think? We don't think.
you think Do you think? You don't think.
The simple present is used:

1. to express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions


and wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city
(general truth)

2. to give instructions or directions:


You walk for two hundred metres, then you turn left.

3. to express fixed arrangements, present or future:


Your exam starts at 09.00

4. to express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

BE CAREFUL! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now. See
Present Continuous.

Examples:

1. For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.

2. For repeated actions or events


We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer.

3. For general truths


Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.

4. For instructions or directions


Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.

5. For fixed arrangements


His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March

6. With future constructions


She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.

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