Present Simple

The Present Simple

Affirmative Form:
I, you, we, they play.
He, she, it
plays.
Remember the verbs in the third person singular (he, she and it) always
take an "s". For example, "he plays, she sings, it works..."
Examples:

Nancy and James speak good German.

Nancy works in a restaurant downtown.

The children play in the garden every weekend.

Interrogative Form:
Do I, you, we, they
Does

he, she, it

play?

Examples:

Do you speak good German?

Does Nancy work in a restaurant downtown?

Negative Form:
I, you, we, they

He, she, it

do not
don't
does not

play.

doesn't

Examples:

No, I don't speak German.

No, she doesn't work in a restaurant downtown

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Present Simple

Uses:
The simple present is used:

To give your opinion: I like ice cream. I don't like spicy food.

To talk about schedules: The library opens at eight. It doesn't open at 7.

To talk about daily habits (routine actions): Sara eats a cheese for

breakfast every day. She doesn't eat cereal.

To give facts: The earth circles the sun.

Spelling:
All the verbs take an "s" in the simple present when conjugated in the

third person singular (he, she, and it) form. So the rule is:
He / she / it + Verb + S
There are however some special cases. Here are the spelling rules:
Verbs ending in
Silent e
close = closes
note = notes

Vowel + y
play = plays
say = says

Consonant + y
study = studies
marry =
marries

s, z, sh, tch, ch

go = goes
do = does

miss = misses
buzz = buzzes
hatch = hatches
finish = finishes
teach = teaches

Exception:

The verb to have changes its forms as follows:

I have two sisters. But she has one sister and two brothers.

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EXTRA MATERIAL

Present Simple

Choose the correct form of the following verbs:

wake up open - speak - take - do - cause live - play - close - live
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Ann __________ hand ball very well.

I never __________ coffee.
The swimming pool __________ at 7:00 in the morning.
It __________ at 9:00 in the evening.
Bad driving __________ many accidents.
My parents __________ in a very small flat.
The Olympic games __________ place every four years.
They are good students. They always __________ their homework.
My students __________ a little English.
I always __________ early in the morning.

Put the verbs between brackets in the correct form:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Jane (not/drink) __________ tea very often.

What time (the banks/open) __________ in Britain?
Where (John/come) __________ from?
It (take) __________ me an hour to get to work.
She (not/wake) __________ up early on Sundays.

Choose the right verbs to complete the sentences. Sometimes you need
the negative:
write - turn - eat - tell - rise
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The earth __________ around the sun.

The sun __________ in the east.
Vegetarians __________ meat.
A liar is someone who __________ the truth.
A novelist __________ novels.

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EXTRA MATERIAL