SIMPLE PRESENT ENGLISH DEPARTMENT Objetivos Conocer el uso del presente simple. Operar las diversas formas verbales del presente simple. Contenidos 1. Simple Present / Presente Simple Materiales A paperback or online dictionary. Simple Present Simple present is used to describe daily routines. When we talk about daily routines we mean things we normally do every day, for example to sleep, to wake up, to study, to go to work, etc. As a result, we use it to talk about things in general. We are not just thinking of the present. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general. It is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking: - The earth goes round the sun. - Nurses look after patients in hospitals. - I wake up every day at 7:00 a.m. - In Britain most of the shops close at 5:30 p.m. - Barry works in a shop. In order to create sentences in the simple present, we can use the following formula: Person Animal Object + Main Verb + (s es) + R.O.S Thought (Go Look Work) Etc. 1
- I play football every day. - Carlos plays football every day. - They live in Santiago since they were four years old. Remember that when we use third person pronouns (he she it), we must add an s or es depending on the verb. 1. Add s to the base form: this is the most common spelling for the S form and is the spelling used for most verbs. Notice, especially, especially that s is added when the base form ends in one or more consonants + e: Bakes Breathes Cares Dives Edges Hates Hopes Jokes 2. Add es to the base form: this happens in two situation: a. When the base form ends in the vowel o: Does goes redoes b. When the base form ends in ss, sh, ch, zz, and x: Kisses misses tosses flashes wishes catches watches buzzes boxes 3. Change the y to i and add es: this happens when a verb ends in a consonant + y. Cry Cries Try Tries Fly Flies In the case of negative sentences we use the expressions don t / doesn t. The use of them depends on the personal pronoun. For the third person singular we must use doesn t. In the negative form we don t change the verb, so there is no necessity to care about adding s or es. Check the example below: - Rice doesn t grow in Britain. - Paula doesn t study English. - I don t like football. - They don t practice any sports at all. 2
In the case of questions, we use the expressions do / does. Again, the use of them depends on the personal pronoun. For the third person singular we use does. In the interrogative form we don t add anything to the verb. - Do you speak English? - Does she study in Usach? - Where do you come from? - Do they still play in our football team? - Does he play any instrument? Exercises 1. In this exercise you have to put the verbs into the correct form. Examples: Water boils (boil) at 100 degrees centigrade. George doesn t go (not/go) to the cinema very often. How many languages do you speak (you/speak)? 1. The swimming bath (open) at 9.00 and (close) at 18:30 every day. 2. What time (banks/close) in Britain? 3. I have a car but I (not/use) it very often. 4. How many cigarettes (you/smoke) a day? 5. What (you/do)? I m an electrical engineer. 6. Where (your father/come)? He (come) from Scotland. 7. If you need money, why (you/not/get) a job? 8. I (play) the piano, but I (not/play) very well. 9. I don t understand the word deceive. What ( deceive/mean)? 2. This time you have to read some sentences and correct them. The English is correct but the information is wrong. Write two correct sentences each time. Example: The sun goes round the earth. The sun doesn t go round the earth. The earth goes round the sun. 1. The sun rises in the west. 3
2. Mice catch cats. 3. Carpenters make things from metal. 4. The River Amazon flows into the Pacific Ocean. 3. Now you have to use these sentences to make questions. Begin your questions with the word (s) in brackets. Examples: Tom plays tennis (how often?) How often does Tom play tennis? I get up in the morning. (What time / usually?) What time do you usually get up? 1. Ann watches television (How often?) How often? 2. I write to my parents (How often?)? 3. I have dinner in the evening? (What time/usually?)? 4. Tom works. (Where?)? 5. I go to the cinema. (How often?)? 6. People do stupid things. (Why?)? 7. The car breaks down (How often?)? 4
Answer Key 1. In this exercise you have to put the verbs into the correct form. 1. Opens closes 2. Do the banks close 3. Don t use 4. Do you smoke 5. Do you do 6. Does your father come comes 7. Don t you get 8. Play don t play 9. Does deceive mean 2. This time you have to read some sentences and correct them. The English is correct but the information is wrong. Write two correct sentences each time. Example: The sun goes round the earth. The sun doesn t go round the earth. 1. The sun doesn t rise in the west. It rises in the east. 2. Mice don t catch cats. Cats catch mice. 3. Carpenters don t make things from metal. They make things from wood. 4. The River Amazon doesn t flow into the Pacific Ocean. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean. 3. Now you have to use these sentences to make questions. Begin your questions with the word (s) in brackets. 1. How often does Ann watch television? 2. How often do you write to your parents? 3. What time do you usually have dinner (in the evening=? 4. Where does Tom work? 5. How often do you go to the cinema? 6. Why do people do stupid things? 7. How often does the car break down? 5