All about present simple in English. Present Simple - features of use
Starting to learn the tense system of the English language, many look ahead with fear. How to remember all this? How to understand everything? Gradually, moving from rule to rule, from example to example, from exercise to exercise. And the first time that is encountered on the path of students is Present Simple (Indefinite).
The general meaning of this rule is a reflection of actions that occur usually, regularly, habitually. In other words, Present Indefinite Tense states a fact, simply reports some information. English proposal It is built according to a clear scheme, but each of the times has its own characteristics. What you need to know about present simpl (indefinite)?
Education
An affirmative sentence is composed according to the following principle: Subject + verb + minor members. But not everything is so easy. If in place of the main member of the sentence there are pronouns she/he/it or nouns in the 3rd person singular, then we add the ending to the verb - s(es). So the schema looks like this: S + V (Vs).
With interrogative and negative sentences, the grammar of Present Simple dictates a completely different principle to us. Auxiliary verbs appear do/does where does is used with she/he/it and 3rd person singular subjects, and do with everything else. They are not translated, they have no semantic meaning. These are helpers who in questions take place before the subject, and in negations after, but with a particle not. It is worth noting that the predicate here again changes its form - the infinitive without to (as the verb is presented in the dictionary). Questions and negatives are as follows: Do/Does + S + V 1 ? and S + do/ does + not + V 1.
In colloquial speech, many words are combined so that the sentence is not cumbersome. That is why they often use short forms:
do not = don't
does not = doesn't
It is important to know!
The rules of Present Simple (Indefinite) are not limited to this. There are little nuances that need to be learned.
1. Writing Features verbs ending in s or es.
- if the verb ends with a letter "o", then we add es : goes, does.
- The situation is the same with hissing consonants, if the word ends with them: s, x, ch, sh: mixes, matches, pushes, misses.
- provided that the predicate ends with a letter "y" , and before it is a consonant, then "y" changes to i+es: stu d y-stu d ies, fly-flies. Ho: stay-st a ys, say-s a ys.
2. Pronunciation the same ending s is also changeable. So, after deaf consonants, it is necessary to pronounce the sound [s]: drops, lets. If the ending is next to a vowel or voiced consonant, then it sounds like [z]: adds, plays. But after the sounds it is necessary to pronounce as : loses, mixes.
3. I also want to note two verbs that are not observed general rules. This to be and to have. For example, to be has distinctive forms that depend on the subject: I - am, She/he/it + is, we/you/they - are. They are fixed, there are not many of them, so it will not be difficult to learn (You can learn more about this from the article of the same name “The verb to be in English language"). Negation and questions are built without the help of auxiliary ones. Being at the same time a predicate, in questions to be becomes before the subject, and in negations it is used with a particle not.
She is the first passenger. She is the first passenger.
Are you a good son? - You are a good son?
We aren't at school, we are at home. We are not at school, we are at home.
The verb to have in the affirmative sentence with the subjects she/ he/ it takes the form has, with all the rest - have.
She has a nice car. - She has a beautiful car.
We have a strong family. We have a strong family.
Using Present Indefinite
1. As mentioned earlier, the present simple time reflects the usual, regular or infrequent behaviors that can be called the norm . Often used with adverbs such as: always (always), usually (usually), generally (usually, as a rule), occasionally (occasionally, sometimes, from time to time), frequently (often), sometimes (sometimes), often (often), twice a year (twice per year), once a week (once a week), every day (year, month), from time to time (from time to time), rarely (rarely), every other day (every other day), daily (daily), monthly (monthly).
They seldom go out on Sundays. They rarely leave the house on Sundays.
It doesn't often rain in winter here. It doesn't often rain here in winter.
As a rule, she has a meal at home. She usually eats at home.
2. Constant characteristics such as hobbies, habits, customs and traditions.
As a hobby Jim and Ken design paper ships. As a hobby, Jim and Ken make paper ships.
The British drink tea at 5 o'clock. The British drink tea at 5 o'clock.
I paint for pleasure, but not because I want to make money out of it. I paint for fun, not to make money.
3. Natural phenomena, undeniable truths, generalizations are always used in Present Simple.
Summer follows spring. Summer comes after spring.
The earth is round. - The earth is round.
4. Schedule, routes, working hours.
The shop closes at 7 p.m. — The store closes at 7.
The train leaves from the station at 5. - The train leaves the station at 5.
5. With state verbs (More details in the article “Verbs not used in Continuous”), which express feelings, opinions, etc.
I disagree with him. — I do not agree with him.
I hate your driving a car. — I hate it when you drive.
6. Sports commentators always use the Present Simple. The same time is used in instructions, statements, anecdotes.
Now I peel the potatoes, slice them, put into the bowl (recipe) - Now I peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces and put them on a plate.
Becker passes to Lendle. Baker hands over to Landel.
7.Retelling movies, anecdotes, stories , it is better to use a present simpl.
Events go rapidly. John meets her and they fall in love with each other. — Events developed rapidly. John met her and they fell in love with each other.
8. In subordinate clauses of condition and time, after unions when, if, after, before, as soon as, until, in case, unless (although we translate the future).
I'll phone you as soon as I come. - I'll call you as soon as I get there.
If it rains we will stay at you overnight. If it rains, we will stay with you for the night.
Time Comparison
To make it easier for you to understand this time, its essence, let's compare it with other present tenses and find the differences.
According to all the rules of Present Simple (Indefinite), it is quite often used. It can be said that it occupies a leading position in use. When studying this tense, pay attention to education, or rather to auxiliary verbs and endings, but use cases will be easier to remember if you do a few exercises.
English tenses usually begin with the Present Simple. Today we will analyze the formula for the formation of the present simple tense and examples of its use. Remember that Present Simple is not as simple as its name - we will find out all the details in this article.
How is the Present Simple formed?
Let's see how affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences are formed in Present Simple.
Examples of affirmative sentences in Present Simple:
We live in a huge industrial city. - We are living in a huge industrial city.
sophie drinks 3 cups of coffee a day. - sophie drinks 3 cups of coffee a day.
Teachers check lots of homework every day. - Teachers check Lots of homework every day.
Examples of negative sentences in Present Simple:
Joanne doesn't spend much time on the Internet. - Joan doesn't spend a lot of time on the internet.
They don't like her. - She I like too.
My back doesn't hurt. - My back doesn't hurt.
Examples of interrogative sentences in Present Simple:
Do you often get together with your relatives? - You often meet with relatives?
Does Fiona know your parents? - Fiona is familiar with your parents?
When a question asks for a yes or no answer, it is a general question. But in English, we don't just answer yes or no, we use the following patterns:
| Question | Short positive answer | Short no answer |
|---|---|---|
| Do you study English? | Yes, I do. | No, I don't. |
| Do you study English? | Yes, we do. | No, we don't. |
| Do they learn English? | Yes, they do. | No, they don't. |
| Does he study English? | Yes, he does. | No, he doesn't. |
There are several features of the formation of the form of the verb in the third person:
- The verb to have (to have) is transformed into has.
I have a modern laptop. - U me I have a modern laptop.
He has no siblings. - He has no brothers and sisters. - If the verb ends in -sh, -ch, -s, -x, -o, you must add the ending -es to it.
Verb in its initial form Verb + ending -es wat ch watch es d o do es wa sh wash es mi x mix es pa ss pass es My sister-in-law watches TV a lot. - My daughter-in-law often looks TV.
- If the verb ends in -y and is preceded by a consonant, we must replace -y with -i and add -es. If there is a vowel before -y, just add -s.
Verb in its initial form Verb + ending -es/-s stu dy stud ies car ry carr ies pl ay play s st ay stay s Mike's son studies French at school. - Son of Mike studies French at school.
The verb to be in Present Simple
The verb to be is a special linking verb that literally translates as “to be”, “to be”. It has three forms that are used with different pronouns:
| I | he, she, it | you, we, they |
|---|---|---|
| am | is | are |
In the simple present tense, the verb to be connects the subject with an adjective (adjective), noun (noun) or pronoun (pronoun). If in the sentence the action is described using another verb, then we no longer need the linking verb to be.
Let's say we want to say, "I'm hungry." In such an example, there is no action, only the subject "I" and the adjective "hungry". In order to link them into a sentence, we use the linking verb to be: I am hungry.
And now we will learn how to determine which verb to use in Present Simple:
I am at work. - I'm at work. (Where?)
He isn't an engineer. - He is not an engineer. (Who?)
Are you curious? - Are you curious? (Which?)
We watch films every day. - We we look movies every day. (what are we doing?)
She doesn't speak Italian. - She does not speak in Italian. (what is he doing?)
Do they remember him? - They remember his? (what do they do?)
When to use Present Simple
As the name of this tense suggests, it is used when we are talking about the present. Let's figure out once and for all in what specific situations you need to use Present Simple.
- Unchanging, constant events, facts
First of all, Present Simple covers the present in the widest possible way. When we want to talk about the laws of nature and other unchanging facts, we use the Present Simple. We also use this tense when we express general facts about ourselves or about others. Usually this is something permanent, not tied to a specific moment.
Water boils at 100 degrees. - Water boils at 100 degrees. (law of nature)
My neighbors speak French. - My neighbours They say in French. (unchanging fact)
Mary works for an international company. - Mary works in an international company. (general fact about Mary) - Habits, regular activities
We use the Present Simple to describe actions that are repeated with a certain regularity.
I go to Europe every spring. - I I drive to Europe every spring.
They don't buy fast food when they are traveling. - They don't buy fast food when traveling.
He never eats broccoli. - He never eats broccoli. - Schedule
Use the Present Simple to describe an action that happens according to a specific schedule.
Breaking Bad series starts at half past nine. - The series "Breaking Bad" starts at half past ten.
The train leaves at 8.00 on Thursdays. - Train heading off at 8:00 am on Thursdays.
Does souvenir shop close at 18.00? - Souvenir shop closes at 18:00? - Actions happening one after the other
- Sequential actions in the plot of a book or movie
the hero wants to save the world. He starts a journey full of adventures and losses. But does he know all the truth? - Hero wants save the world. He heading off on a journey full of adventure and loss. But knows does he tell the whole truth?
- Remarks of sports commentators
He kicks the ball and scores! - He strikes on the ball and scores a goal!
- Instructions
Don't forget: first you go to the check-in desk, then you show your things at the customs. Don't forget: first you going to the front desk, then showing things at customs.
- Process demo
So, I add some pepper and serve the dinner. Voila! - So, I add some pepper and I submit dinner. Voila!
- Sequential actions in the plot of a book or movie
- Titles
You can find Present Simple in the titles of articles, videos, and other materials. They can indicate both present and past or future events:the queen meets ambassadors from Spain. - Queen met with ambassadors from Spain.
Apple introductions their new gadgets next week. - Apple presents new gadgets next week.
Present Simple markers
Sometimes it can be difficult to understand which grammatical tense should be used in a given situation. In this case, words that are usually used in one time or another can come to the rescue. Consider the present simple marker words, they can be divided into two categories:
- Adverbs of frequency
These words can be used to say how often certain actions are performed. The main adverbs of frequency are shown in the table:
Word Translation always Always usually usually often often generally In most cases sometimes Sometimes rarely, seldom rarely hardly ever Almost never never never Examples of sentences with adverbs of frequency in Present Simple:
He always gets up at 7 a.m. - He Always gets up at 7 am.
They are usually at home in the evening. - They usually at home in the evening.
Miranda and Greg often visit their grandmother. - Miranda and Greg often visit their grandmother.She rarely meets her friends. - She rarely meets with friends.
We are hardly ever late for work. - We Almost never we are not late for work.
I never borrow money from my friends. - I never I don't borrow money from friends.Usually adverbs of frequency are placed before the main verb of the sentence, for example:
I sometimes have a shower in the morning. - I sometimes I take a shower in the morning.
Mark doesn't always give his girlfriend flowers. - Mark does not always give flowers for your girlfriend.But there is one situation when this word order is violated - when there is a verb to be in the sentence, adverbs of frequency are placed after it, for example:
She is hardly ever worried. - She almost never is going through.
Helen and Mike aren't usually at work at this time. - Helen and Mike usually not at work at this time. - Phrases expressing frequency - they are usually placed at the end of a sentence.
- Phrases formed with the word every:
every + day/week/month/yearI go shopping every day. - I go shopping every day.
Scarlett watches a new film every week. - Scarlett is watching a new movie every week.She visits her mother-in-law every month. - She is visiting her mother-in-law every month.
Molly goes on holiday every year. - Molly goes on vacation Every year. - Phrases formed using the words once and twice:
once + a week/month/year and twice + a week/month/yearWe see each other once a month. - We see each other once a month.
Ivan has English lessons twice a week. - Ivan studies English two times a week. - Starting with three times or more, we use the word times:
three times a month, four times a yearCharlotte's daughter usually comes to see her about ten times a year. - Charlotte's daughter usually visits her around ten times a year.
- Phrases formed with the word every:
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Time Present Simple Tense, or Indefinite, as it is called in the grammar of the English language, received such a name for a reason. This is one of the main and at the same time the simplest tenses that form the basis of the entire grammatical structure. The standard classical explanation for the use of this tense is as follows: Present Indefinite Tense is used to express a regular action that occurs on an ongoing basis. At the same time, the duration of the situation being committed is not emphasized, but only its periodicity.
For Present simple examples sentences with translation can be the following:
- They go to this shop every day - They go to this shop every day
- She buys me presents for every Christmas - She buys me presents for every Christmas
- My fiends regularly come to me in summer - My friends regularly come to me in the summer
Of course there are other cases. usage Present Simple, which will be discussed in detail below, but first you need to find out how the Present Simple is formed, and also study all the features of its constructions in sentences of various types.
Education Present Simple
The Present Indefinite Tense is formed very simply. The affirmative sentences here do not have any special forms and constructions, and the infinitive without the to particle is used as the form of the verb, that is, the usual first form of the verb.
In addition, the present simple tense in English has another feature that manifests itself in affirmative sentences.
When using pronouns of the third person singular (he, she, it), the ending -s (-es) is added to the verb, which indicates this person.
We will discuss the use of endings in more detail below, but here are sentences in Present Simple that display how verbs with such endings look like:
- He often writes to me - He often writes to me
- She never speaks to me in a rude manner - She never speaks rudely to me
- This house looks shabby because of its owners' indifference - This house looks miserable because of the indifference of its owners
Thus, the Present Simple formula looks like this:
V1 (–s,–es)
In the event that there is no semantic verb in the sentence, it comes to the rescue auxiliary to be, used in the present tense: am (for the pronoun “I”), is (for the singular pronouns – “he”, “she”, “it”) or are (plural pronouns “we”, “you ”, “they”).
Interrogative sentences
are formed according to the following algorithm: if there is a verb in the sentence, then the auxiliary verbs do or does should be at the beginning of the sentence. The second is used only for third person pronouns (he, she, it), and the first for all others:
- Do you prefer black tea to green? Do you prefer black tea to green tea?
- Does she call you every day? Does she call you every day?
Note: if the auxiliary verb is does, then the -s (-es) ending will not be added to the verb, and no explanation is even required here: the verb does is essentially do with the ending -es.
Provided that there is no verb in the sentence, then the verb to be is put in the first place in the required form:
- Is he really as intelligent as people say? Is he really as smart as people say?
- Are these apples tasty? Are these apples delicious?
negatives
To express negation, it is enough to use the particle not. At the same time, the principle of the appearance of auxiliary verbs in the sentence is the same: if there is a main verb, do not (=don’t) or does not (=doesn’t) appears, and if it is absent, then negation is added to the verb to be:
- We don’t live in this house in winter - We don’t live in this house in winter
- He doesn't like any vegetables and eats only fruit - He doesn't like any vegetables and only eats fruit
- She isn't so stupid as you suppose - She is not as stupid as you think
Note: in some cases, companions of interrogative and negative sentences do or does occur even for affirmative sentences. This is especially typical for colloquial speech, when the speaker wants to give his words even more expressiveness and focus on something:
- I do want to come to you - I really want to come to you
- She does know all this material - She really knows all this material
Rules for writing endings for verbs in Present Simple
The information above was given that in the third person the verb can have both -s and -es endings. The time markers are as follows:
- Hissing consonant at the end of the verb (written as -ss, -s, -ch, -tch, -sch, -z, -x): he pushes, he watches, he teaches, he passes, etc.
- Vowel -o at the end of the verb: he does, he goes,
- If there is a letter -y at the end of the verb, then it will change to the letter combination -ie if it is preceded by a consonant sound; if the sound before -y is a vowel, then the letter will remain unchanged: to try - he tries, to play - he plays, etc.
Education Present Simple, as it becomes clear, is not very difficult, but it is equally important to study when it is used, to give its main indicators and cases for which this time is typical.
Using Present Simple
The use of Present Simple is typical for the following situations:
1. Regular, repetitive action
and this is the most classic way to use it. The Present Simple has adverbs that indicate that it will probably be this time - always, usually, often, sometimes, regularly, occasionally, etc .:
- She usually calls me when she is free - She usually calls me when she is free
- We often buy fish from this seller – We often buy fish from this seller
2. States and actions that are characteristic of a particular person:
- He sings and plays the guitar brilliantly - He sings and plays the guitar brilliantly
- He drinks only tea and hates coffee - He only drinks tea and hates coffee
3. Well-known facts
Another frequent use of the present simple is well-known facts, which include, for example, the laws of nature, physical phenomena, etc.:
- Magnet attracts iron - A magnet attracts iron
- Water boils at a temperature of 100 degrees - Water boils at a temperature of 100 degrees
4. With certain verbs (instead of)
The time indefinite can be used to express an action taking place in this moment, but this characteristic is possessed by verbs that cannot form continuous form: sensory perception (hear, see, etc.), mental activity (suppose, consider, believe, etc.), desire and intention (want, intend, desire, etc.) and some other groups. In this case, the Indefinite forms are used:
- I hear John's car, open the gate - I hear John's car, open the gate
- I see Tom. Ask him to come here - I see Tom. Ask him to come here
5. To express the future tense
The Present Simple Tense can also be used to express future tense. For this, situations are used that reflect actions according to a schedule that does not depend on the plans of a person. The main clue that can help in this case is that this usage is typical for verbs of the category of movement (come, arrive, leave, etc.). These markers will help you understand that in such a sentence, Present Simple is possible and desirable, and not Future or Present Continuous:
- Our bus leaves at 5, don't be late - Our bus leaves at 5, don't be late
- The train arrives tomorrow at 7.15 - The train arrives tomorrow at 15
6. In conditional sentences
Present Simple time in English is also used in conditional sentences of the first type (). Grammatically, the part in which there is a condition (usually temporary) is called a subordinate clause. It is in it that the Present Simple is used, and the Future is in the main part. The main markers that introduce a temporary condition are the conjunctions till, until, when, after, before, as soon as, as long as, etc. When working with Present Simple, the rule of the conditional sentence is very important, because here the tenses differ from the Russian language, where the future tense is in both parts:
- She will meet me before I come to you - She will meet me before I come to you
- They will call us as soon as find out anything interesting - They will call us as soon as they find out anything interesting
- when she brings you money, don't refuse to take it - When she brings you money, don't refuse to take it
Such cases of using this time must be taken into account in order to use it for its intended purpose and not make a mistake, thereby putting yourself in an awkward position in front of the interlocutor. Like every tense, it has its own assistants, due to which it is possible to identify the present simple tense. In case of any difficulties when working with Present Simple, the rules and examples described above will help you understand the structure of this tense and forget about the errors associated with it forever.
If you have just started learning English on your own, then the Present Simple tense is the first thing you should learn. This time is basic in English, students of all ages get acquainted with it first of all. Present Simple at first glance seems very simple, but, nevertheless, one cannot do without errors.
When studying any time, it is necessary to remember two aspects: how time is formed and when it is used.
Let's start with the first: the formation of Present Simple forms. Consider in the table how to form statement:
As you can see, there are two options for the predicate: V1(the first form of the verb: a verb (Verb) without a particle (to) or a verb with the ending S or ES.
When we need to say a statement about I, you, we, they (I, you / you, we, they), we use a regular verb without any endings.
If we are talking about he, she, it (he, she, it), in this case, the ending S or ES must be added to the verb. This is very similar to Russian: I work and he / she / it works. If you suddenly forgot to add the ending S, then you will end up with something like: He / she / it works. It is easy to understand, but causes a smile.
How to add the s/es ending? Consider the basic rules with examples.
| 1. | Work-works | If the verb ends in a consonant, then simply add the ending S. |
help - helps look - looks want - wants |
| 2. | Like - likes | If the verb ends in a silent E, which is written but not pronounced, then add S. |
live - lives lie - lies move - moves |
| 3. | Play - plays | If there is a Y at the end of the verb and a vowel before it, then just add S and do not change anything. |
stay - stays say - say obey - obey |
| 4. | Study - studies | If the verb ends in Y and is preceded by a consonant, then Y is changed to I and the ending ES is added. |
copy - copies marry - marries try - tries |
| 5. | Wash-washes | If the verb ends in SS, CH, SH, conveying hissing sounds, or the letter X, then add ES. |
watch - watches dress - dresses finish - finishes |
| 6. | Exceptions | There are three verbs - exceptions. |
go - goes do - does have - has |
It is also important to pronounce the endings correctly, for this we will follow the rules of pronunciation:
The form with the ending S / ES for the third person singular (he, she, it) can only be found in the statement in Present Simple, because auxiliary verbs appear in the negative and the question, which “take away” the ending. Consider the form denial:
Only in the informational question to the subject (Who?), the form Vs / es is used:
The second important aspect is the use of time. When using this or that time, you must clearly understand why you are using this time, and not another.
The first and most important thing about Present Simple time is that it denotes a constant action, habit, repetitive action. Consider all use cases.
1. Habitual activities and daily routine
Present Simple is always worked out on topics, My Day Off and others related to the daily routine and the actions that you always perform.
It is important that with Present Simple, time indicators are often used - which indicate how often the usual action will be repeated:
- always, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, rarely, never;
- in the morning/afternoon/evening;
- every day/ week/ month/ year
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Those who have taken up the English language are frightened, first of all, by the so-called times. But if you figure it out, then these are not some mythical times at all, but simply forms of the verb that are conjugated in speech and carry a certain meaning.
Do not think that the British perceive the world at some special times. In the simplest table, there are as many as 12 of them. There are really 12 of them, but this is only pure grammar and to real life has no special relationship. In fact, there are only three times in the physical world - the present, the past and the future. Those times that grammarians write about are just an artificial creation. If we want, we will do 20. In Russian, for example, the conjugation of the verb and the system of prefixes are developed:
I'm going. I left. I'm leaving. I will go
Such proposals can be made more than a dozen. But in fact, the initial form of the predicate is "to go." The English language is much poorer in this regard, but it compensates for these nuances with a developed system of tenses.
Important! It must be remembered that the noun () + conjugated verb form the semantic core of any sentence, i.e. are the focus of the offer.
Essence of Present Simple
It is difficult to say why this time has become Simple in two decades. Again tricks of pundits? When I was a schoolboy, textbooks called him indefinite ( Present Indefinite), and this name appeals to me more. It is found in many grammars to this day. Consider what place the Present Simple occupies on the scale of physical time. If you think about it, what is real. The second that runs? Current time period? What has already ended, but there is a result? Let's leave these reflections to philosophers - grammar considers time in its own way.
In all manifestations of the present, Present Simple occupies its own niche - it is used in relation to actions taking place at the present time, but not tied to the moment of action. This actions that happen regularly, that repeat or never happen.
From the point of view of grammar, the absence of action is also a kind of regularity. For example,
I never drink coffee. — I never drink coffee.
Present simple markers
| always - always |  |
| often - often | |
| usually - usually | |
| once in a while - occasionally; Sometimes | |
| once a week - once a week | |
| twice a week - twice a week | |
| sometimes - sometimes | |
| seldom - rarely; infrequently | |
| hardly ever - almost never | |
| never - never | |
| every day/week/month - every day/week/month | |
| etc. (everything related to regularity, recurrence of events) |
Education Present Simple
So, how is the Present Simple formed? I have good and bad news for you:
a) good news
To form Present Simple, it is enough to take a pronoun (there are exceptions) or a noun in and simply add a verb to it:
I play football. - I'm play soccer.
My friends live there. - My friends live there.
Education Present Simple for pronouns I, you, we, they
| Sample sentence | Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| + | I (/you/we/they) go to work every day. | I/you/we/they go to work every day. |
| - | I (/you/we/they) don't (do not) go to work every day. | I Not I go to work every day. |
| ? | Do I(/you/we/they) go to work every day? | Do I go to work every day? |
But if you have a subject she, he, it or a noun in the singular, then you already need to add a suffix to the predicate -(e)s. But when pronouncing, the same rules almost always work here as in the formation of the plural of a noun, so it will not be difficult to get acquainted:
My brother watches MTV. — My brother watches TV.
Many grammarians recommend in such cases to use circumstances indicating the repetition of an action ( after school, often etc.), but this is not necessary at all - the British will understand that this action is regular.
Education Present Simple for pronouns he, she, it (3rd person)
| Sample sentence | Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| + | He/she go es to work every day. | He/she goes to work every day. |
| - | He/she doesn't (does not) go to work every day. | He/she does not go to work every day. |
| ? | Does he/she go to work every day? | Does he/she go to work every day? |
b) bad news
For the formation of a negative, auxiliary verbs appear in Present Simple, which mean absolutely nothing, but if we talk about literary speech, they must be present. For she, he, it and a singular noun, this is does, for all other personal pronouns and nouns in plural - do. There is nothing complicated here.
If the sentence is interrogative, put it before the subject. In Russian, such questions are formed only by intonation.
If the sentence is negative, put it after the subject. do or does and particle not.
Don't be afraid to use the full verb do in negative or question:
I do not do anything on Sundays. — I don't do anything on Sundays.
First do does not mean anything. In colloquial speech, it is even abbreviated to don't.
A few more simple truths
Don't forget that the auxiliary verb do pronounced, and its negative form in an abbreviated version (it dominates in speech) -, and, accordingly, the form does pronounced, and negative - doesn't. Both are used to form interrogative and negative sentences.
Such questions are called in grammar special:
What do you do on Sundays? - What do you do on Sundays?
What does your friend do on Sundays? What does your friend do on Sundays?
The only exceptions are questions to the subject. In this case, the auxiliary verb do is not used, and the semantic verb is always in the third person singular, i.e. with the ending -(e)s:
Who lives next door to you? - Who lives next door to you?
Such questions are always posed with -(e)s on the verb, regardless of the number of objects.
Exercises
Exercise 1
Add the ending -(e)s where necessary:
- Your father … that we are here. (know)
- These cameras … too much for me. (cost)
- Paul …interested. (seem)
- I … coffee very much. (like)
- The bus … at the corner. (stop)
- Chuck … Jessica to the movies every Saturday. (take)
- The children … just like their mother. (look)
- He … everything you teach us. (remember)
Exercise 2
Form negative and interrogative sentences. If there is a question word in brackets, the question must be special. Please note that the question may contain a negative. In such cases, there will be a small hint in brackets.
- Mr. Baker works in a bank. (where?)
- Bob's parents play tennis. (who?)
- The soup tastes good.
- The plane leaves at 6'olock. (when?)
- Wood and paper burn easily, but glass doesn't burn at all. (What? (What's not lit at all?)
- Jane love flowers. (who?)
- This house belongs to Mary.
- I go to the market every week. (how often?)
A few important notes
The Present Simple is often used in tennis or football commentary to express actions that are happening at the moment. This can obviously be explained by the simplicity of its formation - the task of the commentator is to quickly cover events on the court or football field.
Some verbs in the Present Simple express the past tense, especially hear And see:
I hear you are getting mrried. (I heard that you are getting married.)
Verbs see And think(and a number of others) in Present Simple mean “understand” and “express an opinion”, respectively, although in many other times they have a different meaning.
Present Simple with verbs can express movement. There is an example of this in the second exercise.
Finally
Present Simple has many subtleties and nuances. We have reviewed the main ones. The main thing is to understand the essence of this species-temporal form. Don't try to learn this lesson in one fell swoop. Do the exercises, other textbooks have them too. Re-read several times.
