RULES - PRESENT SIMPLE

We use Present Simple to talk about:

1)
Things that happen regularly
2)
Facts / Things that are generally true
3)
Habits
4)
Stative Verbs
also for: making declarations (I hope, I bet, I declare), headlines, instructions and itineraries,
summaries of events (plots of stories, films etc), historic present...
1)

TIME EXPRESSIONS for things that happen regularly are:

every ....
once a ....
twice a ....
on Tuesdays .....
in winters ....
OR
always, frequently, often, usually, regularly, generally, sometimes, seldom, rarely,
hardly ever, never.
Time Expressions that have more than one word, we put at the end of the sentence.
e.g. I go to school every day.
e.g. I play tennis three times a week.
Time Expressions that are one word, we put before the main verb.
e.g. I always do my homework.
e.g. We don't usually spend so much money.
If the main verb is BE (am, is, are), we put the Time Expression after it.
e.g. I am never late.

2)

When we have a sentence that is a general fact, we don't use any time expression and
we have to know that it refers to PRESENT SIMPLE.
e.g. The sun shines in the east.
My father works in a factory.
We live in Tel-Aviv.

3)

Stative Verbs are verbs that do not take the Progressive form, therefore, whenever you
have a stative verb use the Simple form.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

senses:
feelings:
thoughts:

hear, sound, see, smell, taste, feel.

love, hate, like, dislike.
think, know, want, wonder, forget, remember, need, believe,
hope, seem, mean, prefer, suppose, suspect, wish, understand,
doubt.
possession:
have, has, own, belong to.
measurement: cost, weigh, equal, measure
consist of, contain, fit, matter...

e.g.

I want to eat now.

I have a headache now.

Sometimes you don't use these verbs in their regular meaning. When you use these verbs in
another meaning you can use them in the Progressive form. (be, depend, feel, have, measure,
see, taste, think, weigh)
I am seeing John tonight.
He is smelling the wine.
The cook is tasting the food.
He is feeling better.
I am thinking about what to do.
I an having fun.
He is weighing the oranges.
I am looking at you now.
He is appearing on T.V. tonight.

Vs.
Vs.
Vs.
Vs.
Vs.
Vs.
Vs.
Vs.
Vs.

I see you now.

The wine smells good.
The food tastes good.
The cloth feels smooth.
I think that he is right.
I have a hat.
He weighs 80 kg.
The dress looks beautiful on you.
He appears to be an honest man.

How To Use The Present Simple

I
You
We
They

base
form
of
verb

(+) Subject + verb + ...

(-) Subject + DON'T + verb + ...
(?) DO + subject + verb + ...
(WH)WH Q + DO + subject + verb +..
WHO + verbS

He
She
It
(+)
(-)
(?)
(WH)

verb + S

Subject + verbS + ...

Subject + DOESN'T + verb +...
DOES + subject + verb + ...
WH Q + DOES + Subject + verb +
WHO + verbS

verb = bare infinitive (without TO)

Spelling
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
worry worries
NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.
play plays
enjoy enjoys

say says