PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE

(structure and usage)

STRUCTURE
Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

I dance
You dance
He/She/It dances
(infinitive +S/ES)

I don't dance
You don't dance
He/She/It doesn't dance

Do I dance?
Do you dance?
Does he/she/it dance?

We dance
You dance
They dance

We don't dance
You don't dance
They don't dance

Do we dance?
Do you dance?
Do they dance?

Exceptions when adding 's' :

For can, may, might, must, do not add s.
Example: he can, she may, it must
After o, ch, sh or s, add es.
Example: do - he does, wash - she washes
After a consonant, the final consonant y becomes ie. (but: not after a vowel)
Example: worry - he worries
but: play - he plays
Signal words: always, every day/ Monday/ week / , often, normally, usually, sometimes,
seldom, never, generally, in general, from time to time, once a week/month/year, twice/two
times a month etc.
USAGE
1. habitual actions:
They always come to school in time.
Boys usually play football.
2. future actions (usually scheduled):
Christmas comes in December.
School finishes in June.
3. timelesness (situations that are always true, or stage directions, recipes, summaries of the
plots of the stories, and for narration in the historical present):
The Sun rises in the East.
If you put sugar in water, it dissolves.
He rises from his chair, looks out of the window, and goes out to the left (stage direction).
When William hears that the battle is won, he goes to London and crowns himself king of
England.
4. making declarations - verbs describing opinions and feelings tend to be state verbs:
I hope you'll come to my party.
I bet you don't know the truth.

5. headlines (written in a "telegram" style, and references to the past are usually simplified to
present simple):
Car crashes in midnight collision.
6. instructions and itineraries:
First you add sugar and milk in a bowl.
On the second day we visit Rome.
EXERCISES
1. Write the correct form.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

We sometimes . (to read) books.

Every three weeks Emily (to go) to the disco.
It often (to go) to church on Sundays.
Pete and his sister (to use) the family car for going shopping.
I always (to run) to the bus stop.

2.Put the verbs into the correct form.

1. I (to like)

lemonade very much.

2. The girls always (to listen)

3. Janet never (to wear)

jeans.

4. Mr Smith (to teach)

5. You (to do)

to pop music.
Spanish and French.

your homework after school.

3.Make negative sentences.

1. My father makes breakfast.
2. They are eleven.
3. She writes a letter.
4. I speak Italian.
5. Danny phones his father on Sundays.
4.Make questions.
1. you / to speak / English
2. when / he / to go / home
3. they / to clean / the bathroom
4. where / she / to ride / her bike
5. Billy / to work / in the supermarket