Tenses: Present Simple

 

Form:

[Infinitive] + s in third person singular (he, she, it).

 

Affirmative sentences:

 

I work in a bank.	My brother works in a farm.
We sleep at 10 o’clock.	She sleeps at 9 o’clock.
They play tennis.	Tom plays football.

 

Negative sentences:

You must not negate a full verb in English. Always use the auxiliary do for negations.

 

I		watch	TV.
I	don’t	watch	TV at all.

 

My sister		uses	a computer.
My father	doesn’t	use	computers at all.

 

Interrogative sentences:

Use the auxiliary do in questions.

• Do you play basketball?
• Does he play basketball?

 

Use:

The Simple Present is used to express:

 

1. Action which happens again and again (habit)

• They go to work by car
• He washes his hair twice a week

 

 2. A fact which is always true.

•  Some birds fly south in winter
•  The sun sets in the west

 

 3. Scheduled events in the near future

•  The train from Brussels arrives at 8.30
•  The party starts at 9 o’clock.

 

The Simple Present is used with the following adverbs of frequency:

0% —————————————-50%————————————————–100%

never       rarely     not often      sometimes         often           usually             always