Prof.
Med HAKIMI
Present Simple is used for the following purposes:
o repeated actions
o facts
o general truths
o in jokes and story telling
o for future events that are scheduled
o with stative verbs
Repeated Actions
v Actions in the present taking place once,
never or several times.
Adil always plays soccer on Tuesdays. Adil
plays football regularly / every Tuesday.
In English, signal words are often used, e.g.:
always, never, seldom, often, regularly, every
Monday.
Facts
When we want to state a fact or ask a question
without any time reference, we use the present
simple tense.
She plays football but she doesn't play tennis.
For breakfast he eats rice and drinks cold milk.
She works very hard.
My friend speaks four languages.
General Truths
Statements about rules of nature and the way
the world is, are in the present simple tense.
-The sun sets in the west.
-Most babies learn to speak when they are
about two years old.
-Water boils at 100° Celsius.
-Trees lose their leaves in the fall.
To Refer to the Future
The present simple is often used to refer to
future events that are scheduled (and
outside of our control).
-Hurry up! The train departs in 10 minutes.
-I leave Frankfurt at 5 o'clock in the morning
and arrive in New York at midnight the next
day.
-She has a piano lesson after school today.
In jokes, anecdotes and film or book
summaries
The present simple tense is very often used in
jokes and when telling a story to make the joke
or story seem more immediate. The present
simple is also used to retell what happens in a
book or film.
So in he walks with a parrot on his shoulder.
In his new film Robert Redford plays the part
of a brave cowboy.
Stative Verbs
We use the present simple for many verbs of
thinking, feeling and sensing. This verbs are
called stative verbs or 'state' verbs.
emotion: like, love, want, wish.
mind: agree, believe, mean, know.
appearance: look like, resemble, seem.
possession: belong, consist, contain, have, need, own.
perception: see, hear, taste.
-I love lying in bed late on Sunday mornings.
-I need to know right now.
always seldom
generally sometimes
frequently usually
never every day/year
often once a week
rarely twice a year
you
I V1 we he Vs she
they it
I play He speaks
We read She cooks
You clean It sits
They buy
The spelling for the verb in the third person differs
depending on the ending of that verb:
1. For verbs that end in -o, -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, or -z we add -es in the
third person.
go – goes catch – catches wash – washes
kiss – kisses fix – fixes buzz – buzzes
2. For verbs that end in a consonant + y, we remove the y and add -ies.
marry – marries study – studies carry – carries
NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + y, we just add -s.
play – plays enjoy – enjoys say – says
To make a negative sentence in English we normally use
don't or doesn't with all verbs EXCEPT “to be” and
modal verbs (can, might, should etc.).
I
We He
You don’t doesn’t She
V1
They It
-You don't speak Arabic. -John doesn't speak Italian.
-We don't have time for a rest. -It doesn't move.
Yes / No Question
Do I, you, we, they
V1 Rest ?
Does he, she, it
Does he play computer games every evening?
Wh- Non-Subject Question
do
Wh-word subject V1 Rest ?
does
Where does she spend her free time?
PRACTICE
Add s / es / ies to the following verbs:
1. do 8. worry
2. study 9. play
3. teach 10. watch
4. say 11. miss
5. cry 12. stop
6. dance 13. hurry
7. fix
PRACTICE
Add s / es / ies to the following verbs:
1. does 8. worries
2. studies 9. plays
3. teaches 10. watches
4. says 11. misses
5. cries 12. stops
6. dances 13. hurries
7. fixes
Practice
. Complete the sentences with the Present Simple of the verbs in
brackets.
1. Peter and his friends ………………… to school by bus. (go)
2. Elephants ………………… leaves and grass. (eat)
3. David’s father ……………. in a hospital. (work)
4. The bank opens at 9:30 and ……………. at 3:30. (close)
5. Mohammed and Samir……………… football everyday after school.(play)
6. Mr. Jones is a teacher. He ………… history. (teach)
7. Our lessons ………. at 8.30 and ………… at 11.30. (start/finish)
8. my pen friend ……… in Japan. (live)
9. Reem and her brother ………… cartoons every Sunday morning. (watch)
10. Nabil……… his room every day. (tidy)
Practice
. Complete the sentences with the Present Simple of the verbs in
brackets.
1. Peter and his friends ……go…… to school by bus. (go)
2. Elephants ……eat……… leaves and grass. (eat)
3. David’s father ……works……. in a hospital. (work)
4. The bank opens at 9:30 and ……closes……. at 3:30. (close)
5. Mohammed and Samir……play…… football everyday after school.(play)
6. Mr. Jones is a teacher. He …teaches…… history. (teach)
7. Our lessons …start…. at 8.30 and …finish…… at 11.30. (start/finish)
8. my pen friend …lives… in Japan. (live)
9. Reem and her brother watch cartoons every Sunday morning. (watch)
10. Nabil…tidies… his room every day. (tidy)
[Link]
. Complete the sentences with the Present Simple of the verbs in
brackets.
1. I _________________ (be) in a café now
2. _________________ (she / play) tennis every week?
3. They _________________ (go) to the cinema every Wednesday.
4. _________________ (she / be) a singer?
5. Lucy _________________ (ride) her bicycle to work.
6. I _________________ (not / play) the piano often.
7. Why _________________ (he / be) in France?
8. She _________________ (be) my sister.
9. We _________________ (be) from Morocco.
10. Where _________________ (Harry / study)?
[Link]
. Complete the sentences with the Present Simple of the verbs in
brackets.
1. I am in a café now
2. Does she play tennis every week?
3. They go to the cinema every Wednesday.
4. is she a singer?
5. Lucy rides her bicycle to work.
6. I don’t play the piano often.
7. Why is he in France?
8. She is my sister.
9. We are from Morocco.
10. Where does Harry study?