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Present Simple: cuándo usarlo y tips

¿Cómo se forma el present simple?

PositiveI/You/We/They + Verb (+s)He/She/It + verb (+s)
NegativeI/You/We/They + do + not + VerbHe/She/It + does + not + verb (+s)
QuestionsDo + I/You/We/They + VerbDoes + He/She/It + Verb

Positive:   I/She/ You + Verb (+s)

Negative: I/She/ You + do/does + not + Verb

Questions: Do/Does + I/She/ You + Verb

2. When do we use the Simple Present?

  • Repeated actions
    • My friend often draws nice posters.
    • I never drink orange juice.
    • We usually go to the Baltic Sea in summer.
  • Things in general
    • The sun rises in the east.
    • Cats drink milk.
  • Fixed arrangements, schedules events. (e.g. timetable)
    • The plane flies to London every Monday.
    • We have English on Tuesdays and Fridays.
  • Sequence of actions in the present (first – then, after that)
    • First I get up, then I have breakfast.
    • After school I switch on my computer, then I check my emails and after that I play my favourite game.
  • Instructions
    • Open your books at page 34.
    • Don’t shout at me!
  • With special verbs – which are normally not used with the Present Continuous (These verbs express states, possessions, feelings etc.) be, believe, belong, hate, hear, like, love, mean, prefer, remain, realize, see, seem, smell, think, understand, want, wish
    • I understand English.
    • He doesn’t like fish.
    • She believes in life after death.
    • Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Signal words

Every day, often, always, sometimes, never, every day, every week, every year, on Mondays, after school

How to use special verbs in the Simple Present

  • Verb to be: I am / I am not / Am I from…? You are / You are not / Are You from…? She is / She is not / Is She from…?
  • Verb do: I do / I do not do / Do I do exercises? She does / She does not do exercises / Does she do exercises?
  • Verb have: I have books / I do not have books / Do I have books? She has / She does not have / Does she have books?
  • Modals can, could, may, must, need, will etc: I can play / I cannot play tennis / Can I play tennis?

How to add -s to the infintive in the Simple Present

  • Verbs ending in a sibilant [s] [z] [ʃ] [ʒ] [ʧ] [ʤ] or verbs ending in -o preceded by a consonant → We add -es to the infinitive.

I watch → he watches

I pass → he passes

I go → he goes

I do → he does

  • Verbs ending in -y

Mind the letter that stands before -y. // Vowel before -y: Add -s. I play → he plays

Consonant before -y: Change -y to -i. Then add -es.  I hurry → he hurries

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