PRESENT SIMPLE
Affirmative Negative Question
Long form Short Form
I work I do not work I don’t work Do I work? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
You work You do not work You don’t work Do you work? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
He works He does not work. He doesn’t work. Does he work? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.
She works She does not work. She doesn’t work Does she work? Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.
It works It does not work. It doesn’t work Does it work? Yes, it does. No, it doesn’t.
We work We do not work. We don’t work. Do we work? Yes, we do. No, we don’t.
You work You do not work. You don’t work . Do you work? Yes, we do. No, we don’t.
They work They do not work. They don’t work. Do they work? Yes, they do. No, they don’t.
Present Simple
We use the Simple Present to talk about things that are always or generally true.
Here are 6 situations where the Simple Present is often used.
1) We use the Simple Present to talk about our regular habits, repeated actions and daily routines. These are generally true statements about us.
I play football every Saturday.
She takes the 8 o’clock train to work every day.
He does his homework before dinner.
2) Another situation where we use the Simple Present is when we describe Permanent or Long-lasting situations.
She lives in Kuala Lumpur.
We work in the city.
I teach at Oxford University.
3) The Simple Present is also used to talk about General Facts. These include things like Scientific Facts, Universal Truths, the Laws of a country and Company Policy.
Water boils at 100° C at sea level.
The sun rises in the East.
Malaysians drive on the right side of the road.
Our restaurant closes on Mondays.
4) The Simple Present is also used to talk about feelings and senses. At the time of speaking, we can describe how we feel or what we sense using the Simple Present.
(Verbs that describe feelings and senses are often called ‘Non-action verbs’ or ‘stative verbs’.)
I feel great.
The soup tastes nice.
I love your new hairdo.
The perfume smells great.
She believes in me.
5) Future Schedules.
The Simple Present is also used when referring to future schedules. Timetables and schedules give us time-information that is often fixed or repeated regularly.
The museum closes at 3 tomorrow. So let's be early.
My plane leaves at 8 tomorrow.
6) Newspaper Headlines and Dramatic Narrative (story telling)
At the Intermediate levels, we introduce how the Simple Present can be used in writing and storytelling to create a more dramatic effect. When writing news headlines, using the Simple Present gives readers the sense that the news is fresh and exciting..
a) Newspaper Headlines
SERIAL KILLER ESCAPES
DEAF GIRL WINS DANCE COMPETITION
In a similar way, radio/TV/sports commentators use the Simple Present for suspenseful effect, to excite their listeners.
b) Sports Commentary
… Rooney passes the ball to Beckham… Beckham kicks it back to Rooney. Here is an opportunity… yes…yes and it is in.. the ball is in.. We have a goal!
Spelling rules for 3rd Person Singular:
- Most verbs add an –s in the 3rd Person Singular.
- Verbs ending in –ss, –sh-, –ch, –x y –o make the 3rd person singular adding -es
He misses, he finishes, he watches, he mixes, he goes…
- Verbs ending in consonant + y make the 3rd person singular adding –s:
He studies, he cries…
- Verbs ending in vowel +y make the 3rd person singular adding –ies.
He plays, he stays…
* REMEMBER: We only add –s to the 3rd person singular in the affirmative form.