Grammatical Rules (Reglas gramaticales)

Form (Forma)

Para conjugar el presente simple usamos el infinitivo para los sujetos “I”, “you”, “we” y “they”
y para las terceras personas “he”, “she” y “it”, añadimos una “-s” al final del verbo.

Sujeto Conjugación

I, you, we, they talk, eat, learn, do, go…

he, she, it talks, eats, learns, does, goes…

Nota: Hay excepciones de ortografía en la tercera persona, según la letra en que termina el
verbo. Las reglas son las mismas que se utilizan para formar el plural de los sustantivos. Para
más información, ver la lección sobre los nombres.

Structure (Estructura)

1. Affirmative Sentences (Frases afirmativas)

Sujeto + verbo.

Ejemplos:

I talk.(Yo hablo.)

He eats.(Él come.)

They learn.(Ellos aprenden.)

2. Negative Sentences (Frases negativas)

Sujeto + verbo auxiliar (to do) + auxiliar negativo (“not”) + verbo.

Ejemplos:

I do not [don’t] talk.(Yo no hablo.)

He does not [doesn’t] eat.(Él no come.)

They do not [don’t] learn.(Ellos no aprenden.)

Nota: En frases negativas, el verbo auxiliar (“to do”) cambia y el verbo principal va en el
infinitivo.

3. Interrogative Sentences (Frases interrogativas)

Verbo auxiliar (to do) + sujeto + verbo principal?

Ejemplos:

Do you talk?(¿Hablas tú?)

 Does he eat?(¿Come él?)

Do they learn?(¿Aprenden ellos?)

Nota: Como en frases negativas, en frases interrogativas el verbo auxiliar (“to do”) cambia y el
verbo principal va en el infinitivo.

Uses (Usos)

1. El presente simple se utiliza para hablar de cosas que suceden habitualmente. A diferencia
con el español, no se usa el presente simple para hablar sobre algo que está pasando en el
momento en el que hablamos.

Se suele utilizar el presente simple con adverbios de tiempo:

always (siempre), every day (cada día), usually (normalmente), often (a menudo),
sometimes (a veces), rarely (raramente), hardly ever (casi nunca), never (nunca)…

Ejemplos:

I always talk to my mother on Sunday.(Siempre hablo con mi madre el domingo.)

He never eats vegetables.(Nunca come las verduras.)

They usually learn something new in class.(Normalmente aprenden algo nuevo en la

clase.)

Excepción:

Los adverbios de tiempo van delante del verbo, excepto el verbo “to be” (ser/estar). Cuando se
usa “to be” el verbo va delante del adverbio.

Ejemplos:

I am always happy.(Siempre estoy contento.)

He is often sick.(A menudo él está enfermo.)

They are rarely late.(En raras ocasiones llegan tarde.)

2. Se utiliza para hablar de generalidades o hechos científicos.

Ejemplos:

He does not [doesn’t] eat vegetables.(Él no come verduras.)

She works in a hospital.(Ella trabaja en una hospital.)

Elephants live in Africa.(Los elefantes viven en África.)

Bogota is in Colombia.(Bogotá está en Colombia.)

Do children like animals?(¿Les gustan a los niños los animales?)

 Adults do not [don’t] know everything.(Los adultos no lo saben todo.)

3. Se usa para eventos programados en el futuro próximo.

Ejemplos:

The train leaves at 10:00.(El tren sale a las 10h.)

The party is tonight.(La fiesta es esta noche.)

Does the festival start tomorrow?(¿Empieza el festival mañana?)

The plane does not [doesn’t] arrive today.(El avión no llega hoy.)

4. Se usa para instrucciones (el imperativo).

Ejemplos:

Open the window.(Abre la ventana.)

Eat the vegetables.(Come las verduras.)

Don’t cry.(No llores.)

Do your homework.(Haz los deberes.)

Call your mother.(Llama a tu madre.)

El present simple se utiliza al hablar de una acción que ocurre de forma regular, algo que es de
conocimiento general o una condición inmutable.

EJEMPLOS:

I walk to work on Mondays. Los lunes voy a trabajar andando.

Some people put milk in their tea. Algunas personas añaden leche al té.

The sun is brighter than the moon. El sol es más luminoso que la luna.

En el present simple, el verbo solo cambia en tercera persona del singular (he, she, it, una
persona, una cosa), donde se añade el sufijo -s o -es.

EJEMPLOS:

run -> Emily runs

catch -> Sam catches butterflies

El sufijo -es se utiliza cuando el verbo termina con las letras ss, sh, ch, x o z.

EJEMPLOS:
misses, y no misss

fixes, y no fixs

to wake up despertarse
to get up levantarse
to go to the bathroom ir al baño
to have a shower ducharse
to have a bath bañarse
to wash one's face lavarse la cara
to brush one's teeth cepillarse los dientes
to brush one's hair cepillarse el cabello
to comb one's hair peinarse
to have breakfast desayunar
to read the paper leer el periódico
to listen to the radio escuchar la radio
to watch TV mirar televisión
to go to work ir a trabajar
to go to school ir a la escuela
to study estudiar
to read a book leer un libro
to use the computer usar la computadora
to play with the computer jugar con la computadora
to chat charlar
to send an email enviar un email
to phone a friend llamar a un amigo por teléfono
to cook cocinar
to make dinner preparar la cena
to have dinner cenar
to set/lay the table poner la mesa
to clear the table levantar la mesa
to do the dishes lavar los platos
to go to bed ir a la cama
to sleep dormir
to dream soñar
 bailar
to dance
to draw dibujar
to chat charlar
to cook cocinar
to drive conducir
to hike dar una caminata
to listen to music escuchar música
to phone a friend llamar a un amigo por teléfono
to play basketball jugar al basketball
to play billiards jugar al billar
to play bowling jugar a los bolos
to play chess jugar al ajedrez
to play football jugar al fútbol
to play hockey jugar al hockey
to play tennis jugar al tenis
to play the drums tocar la batería
to play the guitar tocar la guitarra
to play the piano tocar el piano
to play with the computer jugar con la computadora
to read leer
to relax relajarse
to rent a video alquilar un vídeo
to ride a horse andar a caballo, cabalgar
to ride a bike andar en bicicleta
to ride a motorbike andar en motocicleta
to sing cantar
to skate patinar
to ski esquiar
to sleep dormir
to watch a film mirar una película
to watch TV mirar televisión

to go camping ir de campamento
to go climbing ir a escalar
to go dancing ir a bailar
to go fishing ir de pesca
to go hunting ir de caza
to go on a picnic ir de picnic
to go to a disco ir a una disco
to go ice skating ir a patinar sobre hielo
to go shopping ir de compras
to go skating ir a patinar
to go swimming ir a nadar
to go walking ir a caminar

aerobics gimnasia aeróbica

archery tiro con arco
athletics atletismo
badminton badminton
baseball baseball, béisbol
basketball basketball, baloncesto
billiards billar
boxing boxeo
bowling bowling, bolos
canoeing piragüismo
cycling ciclismo
darts dardos
diving salto de trampolín, buceo
fencing esgrima
football (US) fútbol americano
football (GB) fútbol
gymnastics gimnasia
golf golf
handball handball, balonmano
hang-gliding ala delta
hockey hockey
horseracing carreras de caballos
horse riding equitación
hurdles salto de vallas
ice hockey hockey sobre hielo
ice skating patinaje sobre hielo
javelin jabalina
jogging footing
judo judo
karate karate
kayak kayak

martial arts artes marciales

motorcycling motociclismo
motor racing automovilismo
mountaineering alpinismo
pentathlon pentatlón
pool pool, billar americano
rowing remo
rugby rugby
sailing navegación, vela
scuba diving buceo
shooting tiro
skating patinaje
skiing esquí
snooker billar
soccer (US) fútbol
softball remo
swimming natación
sync swimming natación artística
table tennis ping-pong
taekwondo taekwondo
tennis tenis
track and field atletismo
volleyball volleyball, voleibol
water polo waterpolo, polo acuático
weightlifting levantamiento de pesas
windsurfing windsurf
wrestling lucha libre

accountant contador
actor actor
actress actriz
air hostess azafata
architect arquitecto
astronaut astronauta
au-pair, babysitter niñera
baker panadero
bank clerk empleado bancario
beekeeper apicultor
barber barbero, peluquero (de hombre)
bookseller librero
bricklayer albañil
bus driver conductor de autobús
butcher carnicero
chemist farmacéutico
chimney-sweeper deshollinador
consultant asesor
cook cocinero
customs officer oficial de aduanas
dentist dentista
disc jockey, DJ disc jockey, DJ
doctor médico
driver conductor
driving instructor instructor de manejo
dustman basurero
electrician electricista
employee empleado
engineer ingeniero
factory worker obrero
farmer agricultor
fashion designer diseñador de moda
firefighter, fireman bombero
fisherman pescador
gardener jardinero
graphic designer diseñador gráfico
hairdresser peluquero (de mujer)
inspector inspector
interior designer diseñador de interiores

jeweller joyero
journalist periodista
judge juez
lawyer abogado
librarian bibliotecario
lifeguard salvavidas, socorrista
lorry driver camionero
mechanic mecánico
model modelo
mailman (US) cartero
nanny niñera
nurse enfermera
office worker oficinista
painter pintor
photographer fotógrafo
pilot piloto
plumber fontanero, plomero
policeman policía
policewoman mujer policía
politician político
postman (GB) cartero
psychiatrist psiquiatra
psychologist psicólogo
receptionist recepcionista
reporter reportero
sailor marinero
salesman vendedor
scientist científico
secretary secretario
security guard guardia de seguridad
shepherd pastor
shoemaker zapatero
singer cantante
soldier soldado
sports instructor instructor de deportes
stockbroker agente de bolsa
student estudiante
surgeon cirujano
tailor sastre
taxi driver taxista
teacher profesor, maestro
technician técnico
telemarketer, telesales person persona que vende por teléfono
tourist guide guía turística
translator traductor
university lecturer profesor universitario
vet (GB), veterinarian (US) veterinario
waiter camarero
waitress camarera
watchmaker relojero
writer escritor
Grammatical Rules (Grammatical Rules)

Form (Form)

To conjugate the present simple we use the infinitive for the subjects "I", "you", "we" and
"they" and for the third persons "he", "she" and "it", we add a "-s" to the end of the verb.

Subject Conjugation

I, you, we, they talk, eat, learn, do, go ...

he, she, it talks, eats, learns, does, goes ...

Note: There are spelling exceptions in the third person, according to the letter in which the
verb ends. The rules are the same as those used to form the plural of nouns. For more
information, see the lesson about names.

Structure (Structure)

1. Affirmative Sentences (Affirmative Sentences)

Subject + verb.

Examples:

I talk. (I speak.)

He eats. (He eats.)

They learn. (They learn.)

2. Negative Sentences (Negative phrases)

Subject + auxiliary verb (to do) + negative auxiliary ("not") + verb.

Examples:

I do not [do not] talk. (I do not speak.)

He does not [does not] eat. (He does not eat.)

They do not [do not] learn. (They do not learn.)

Note: In negative phrases, the auxiliary verb ("to do") changes and the main verb goes in the
infinitive.

3. Interrogative Sentences (Interrogative phrases)

Auxiliary verb (to do) + subject + main verb?

Examples:
Do you talk? (Do you speak?)

Does he eat? (Does he eat?)

Do they learn? (Do they learn?)

Note: As in negative sentences, in interrogative phrases the auxiliary verb ("to do") changes
and the main verb goes in the infinitive.

Uses (Uses)

1. The present simple is used to talk about things that happen habitually. Unlike with Spanish,
the simple present is not used to talk about something that is happening at the moment we
speak.

We usually use the present simple with adverbs of time:

always (always), every day (usually), usually (often), often (often), sometimes (sometimes),
rarely (rarely), hardly ever (almost never), never (never) ...

Examples:

I always talk to my mother on Sunday. (I always talk to my mother on Sunday.)

He never eats vegetables (He never eats vegetables.)

They usually learn something new in class. (They usually learn something new in class.)

Exception:

The adverbs of time go before the verb, except the verb "to be". When using "to be" the verb
goes before the adverb.

Examples:

I am always happy. (I'm always happy.)

He is often sick. (He is often sick.)

They are rarely late. (On rare occasions they are late.)

2. It is used to talk about generalities or scientific facts.

Examples:

He does not eat vegetables. (He does not eat vegetables.)

She works in a hospital (She works in a hospital.)

Elephants live in Africa. (Elephants live in Africa.)

Bogota is in Colombia. (Bogotá is in Colombia.)

Do children like animals? (Do children like animals?)

Adults do not [do not] know everything. (Adults do not know everything.)

3. It is used for scheduled events in the near future.

Examples:

The train leaves at 10:00 (The train departs at 10am)

The party is tonight. (The party is tonight.)

Does the festival start tomorrow? (Does the festival start tomorrow?)

The plane does not arrive [today]. (The plane does not arrive today.)

4. It is used for instructions (the imperative).

Examples:

Open the window. (Opens the window.)

Eat the vegetables. (Eat the vegetables.)

Do not cry. (Do not cry.)

Do your homework. (Do your homework.)

Call your mother. (Call your mother.)

The present simple is used when speaking of an action that occurs on a regular basis,
something that is general knowledge or an immutable condition.

EXAMPLES:

I walk to work on Mondays. On Mondays I will work walking.

Some people put milk in their tea. Some people add milk to tea.

The sun is brighter than the moon. The sun is brighter than the moon.

In the present simple, the verb only changes in the third person of the singular (he, she, it, a
person, a thing), where the suffix -s or -es is added.

EXAMPLES:

run -> Emily runs

catch -> Sam catches butterflies

The suffix -es is used when the verb ends with the letters ss, sh, ch, x or z.