Present Simple Tense

To work I work

You work

he works
Uses: 1. The Generic Present =
generic or universal truths
The earth moves around the sun
 Uses : 1. The Generic Present =
generic or universal truths; laws of
nature
Water boils at 100 C.
Uses: The Generic Present = generic
or universal truths; laws of nature
The Danube flows into the Black Sea
Uses: 1. The Generic Present = facts
which are always true; permanent
situation or state
She works in a bank
Uses: 1. The Generic Present = facts
which are always true; permanent
situation or state
He who laughs last laughs best
Uses: 1. The Generic Present =
generic or universal truths
 Uses: 2. Habitual present
i me
o f T
always Children alwaysn
e t
look for love
generally
M
Generally, I o m
don’t drink coffee in the evening

usually
u l a r
I usually walk to school
t e
oftenrtic I often read my Bibler St
a
P a t o
No sometimes
rarely
E v e n
l a r
never icu I never get up late in the morning
a r t
o P
every day/ week/ month She goes to England
N on Sunday every year
Uses: 2. Habitual present

e v e r
n
s
sometime su al ly
u
rarely
ft en twice a w
o eek
 Uses: 2. Habitual present

s r
sometime ne v e

ft en
o

rarely

u al ly
twice a w us
eek
Uses: 2. Habitual present

This child always helps his parents to shovel

the snow in front of their house
Uses: 2. Habitual present

This girl never says no when asked to do the

dishes
Uses: 2. Habitual present

He washes the dishes every day

 Uses: 3. The Instantaneous
Present = Particular Event!!!
Simultaneous with the moment of
Speaking
NO DURATION in mind
n s: n s
a tio …. ct io
la m ere ir e
x c Th e d
E re, t ag
He S of
Description
demonstrations,
Radio or TV experiments
commentaries, sports
 Uses: 3. The Instantaneous
Present = Particular Event!!!
Simultaneous with the moment of
Speaking
us!
e b
s th
e
c om
er e
H
There it goes!

There goes the last bus!

 Uses: 3. The Instantaneous
Present = Particular Event!!!
Simultaneous with the moment of
Speaking

Banel Nicolita passes the ball to

Chivu who heads straigh into the
goal!
 Uses: 3. The Instantaneous
Present = Particular Event!!!
Simultaneous with the moment of
He coughs Speaking
loudly
several He sits down
times, sits on the floor,
down on the stretches his
chair, arms and
frowns, sighs
sneezes
The actions will happen each and
every time the same!
 Uses: 3. The Instantaneous
Present = Particular Event!!!
Simultaneous with the moment of
Speaking

Now I put the cake mixture into this

bowl and add a drop of vanilla essence
 Uses: 4. State Verbs
hate
want love

d
tan
Vbs of feelings

rs
de
e and emotions

un
, se
ear ti on nk
l , h c e p h i
e er t
Fe y p belie
t a r ve
u n Vbs of thinking
v ol
In

Be/ Have

He is very intelligent He has/ owns/ possess a nice house

 Verbs of thinking
I believe he is the man you are looking for
I do not believe it. I believe in God

believe m y
er,b st
d
a n
e m d er
r e m g et
, y un now
z e , for o w T h e m
ali
b t , k n o ble
Re dou n e , ose p r
a g i upp
, i m r, s understand
s
es mb e Do
G mu e you
re Prese und
ul t nt S erst
t
n if f i c imp and
e le n
r es t d ow
k P no think ?
n s
t hi le i
I mp I think the museum is open to visitors
S i
 Verbs of thinking

Anyway, I think I’ll

I understand impress
the lesson better now John if I
study hard

I doubt I can read the whole

I expect the teacher will pile of books, though
give me a high mark
Verbs of feelings and emotions
adore
desire like
love

I wan
t t o go
to L o
ndon
I disli
ke his
Do yo behav
iour want fer
u like e
Engli
sh? pr
hate ish
w
loathe detest
Verbs of feelings and emotions
Wow, I love this
coffee brand, I adore
it is a wonderful start these
for my long work day! moments
of peace

I hate the way the

waitress looks at I want to talk to my boss,
me… she must think I can see him at that
that there is no tip table over there, but...
 Verbs of involuntary
perception
The house still smells of that cabbage stew
I am smelling the flower and I can
say that it smells good Taste: The soup tastes
g
in
bad o m
smell r c
c a s
a s u
I feel (like) an absolute fool s ee ard
I w
Look to
ot ice : Yo
u loo see
l , n k we
e ll
Fe

hear

Listen! Do you hear a I am listening, but I can’t hear a

noise? thing, I do not hear, really….
 Verbs of involuntary
perception
Ooops, it tastes This
awful, too coffee
but I can’t say a word smells
terrible

I hope this coffee commercial

I feel like an absolute is a success and the public
fool. can’t read my mind
Verbs of involuntary
perception
 Uses: 5. The Present Simple for
Future
Obligatory adverbial of
n; time for the correct
tu r interpretation of the
r e
a ve ar t , temporal value
e
,l , s t
o
g i sh r ,
,
e in d a
m f e n
l e y,
Co gin, eet. a
C rn le
e
b d, m j ou e t a b
en t im
Part of an already
fixed programme
Planned future action
 Uses: 5. The Present Simple for
Future
Obligatory adverbial of
n; time for the correct
tu r interpretation of the
r e
a ve ar t , temporal value
e
,l , s t
o
g i sh r ,
,
e in d a
m f e n
l e y,
Co gin, eet. a
C rn le
e
b d, m j ou e t a b
en t im
Part of an already
fixed programme
Planned future action
Uses: 5. The Present Simple for
Future
The train leaves Craiova
at 6:30 and arrives in
nt y
Bucharest at 8:30
t ai
e r
C
Our spring holiday
begins on April 26th.
Uses: 5. The Present Simple for
Future
nt y
What time does the film
t ai
begin?
er
C
The
examination
begins at 8.30
tomorrow
morning.
One day three we visit
Buckingham Palace; - description
of travel arrangements
 Uses: 5. The Present Simple for
Future
The idea of futurity is
v e clearly denoted in the main
le a
u
s yo will clause --> Future Time
e s u
nl y o rain We will be late if you
U w, e t
no ss th don’t hurry
mi i on
di t
o n The sooner you finish
c the better it will be

I’ll give you the book

time as soon as I finish
 If Clauses
If I get a
If I read the whole pile of good mark
books I will get a ten my mom will
buy me the
dress

If I finish here in time I will

If I understand this go to the concert
page I will call it a
day
 Time Clauses
When I go
As soon as the bell rings home I’ll
I’ll rush out of the door have a hot
shower and
go to bed

When I finish this book

When I get the phone I won’t
from Mark I’ll leave start another one
the library
 Bibliography:
• Ioana Murar, The English Verb,
EUC, 2004, Craiova