SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
It
is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed
arrangements. The simple present tense is simple to form. Just use the base
form of the verb: (I take, you take, we take, they take) The 3rd person
singular takes an -s at the end. (he takes, she takes)
- 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) - To
give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left. - To
express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Your exam starts at 09.00 - 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.
EXAMPLES
§ For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.
§ 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.
We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer.
§ For general truths
Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.
Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.
§ 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.
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.
§ For fixed arrangements
His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 30th March
His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 30th March
§ With future constructions
She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.
She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.
FORMING THE SIMPLE
PRESENT TENSE: TO THINK
Affirmative
|
Interrogative
|
Negative
|
I
think
|
Do
I think?
|
I
do not think
|
You
think
|
Do
you think?
|
You
do not think
|
He
thinks
|
Does
he think?
|
He
does not think
|
She
thinks
|
Does
she think?
|
She
does not think
|
It
thinks
|
Does
it think?
|
It
does not think
|
We
think
|
Do
we think?
|
We
do not think.
|
They
think
|
Do
they think?
|
They
do not think.
|
NOTES ON THE SIMPLE
PRESENT, THIRD PERSON SINGULAR
- In
the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks. - Negative
and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary 'DO') +
the infinitive of the verb.
He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla. - 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 - Add -es to
verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes
EXAMPLES
- 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.