Simple Present

Simple Present Tense.

• The simple present tense in English is used to describe an action or an activity.
• 1. For repeated or regular actions in the present time period.
• a) I take the train to the office. b)
• 2. For facts.
• The President of The USA lives in The White House.
• 3. For habits.
• I get up early every day.
• 4. For things that are always / generally true.
• It rains a lot in winter.

Verb conjugation and spelling

• We form simple present using the base form of the infinitive.
• Most important rules: We ever use the base form of the verb.
• In third person we add an -s or -es depending of the verb.
• I / you / we / theyspeak / learn English at home.
• he / she / it speaks / learns English at home.
• The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb:
• 1For 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

Spelling for the verb.

• 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

statements.

• Negative Sentences in the Simple Present Tense To make a negative sentence in English we normally use Don't or Doesn't with all verbs EXCEPT To Be and Modal verbs (can, might, should etc.).
• Affirmative: You speak French.
• Negative: You don't speak French.
• You will see that we add don't between the subject and the verb. We use Don't when the subject is I, you, we or they.Affirmative: He speaks German.
• Negative: He doesn't speak German.

Questions in the Simple Present Tense

• To make a question in English we normally use Do or Does. It has no translation in Spanish though it is essential to show we are making a question. It is normally put at the beginning of the question.
• Affirmative: You speak English.
• Question: Do you speak English?
• You will see that we add DO at the beginning of the affirmative sentence to make it a question. We use Do when the subject is I, you, we or they.
• Affirmative: He speaks French.
• Question: Does he speak French?
• When the subject is he, she or it, we add DOES at the beginning to make the affirmative sentence a question. Notice that the letter S at the end of the verb in the affirmative sentence (because it is in third person) disappears in the question. We will see the reason why below.
• We DON'T use Do or Does in questions that have the verb To Be or Modal Verbs (can, must, might, should etc.)