SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Read and learn.

1.1. Communicative function: It’s used to talk about habits or routines, general facts, repeated actions or to express instructions. (El tiempo presente es utilizado para expresar hábitos o rutinas, hechos generales, acciones repetidas o para expresar instrucciones).

Examples 

1.1.2 Routine.   I  always wake up early. Then I get up and run for 30 minutes.    

           1.1.3    Instructions.  To get to Central Park walk straight for 5 blocks, then turn left.

          1.1.4    General facts.   Water freezes under 0° C and boils at 100° C

                       

   

          1.1.3    To talk about scheduled events.  The game starts at 4:00 pm.

 

2.    Look at the three patterns of the sentences

2.1



Affirmative

S: subject         V: verb        C: complement

     

• I like to spend time with my friends on weekends.

I  →   subject

like to spend    →  verbs

time with my friends on weekends. →  Complement    

• You play soccer very well.

• We study on weekdays from 7 am to 1 pm.

• They seem to be so smart. They read books all the time.

• Plants need sunlight and water to survive. 

Exercise A.

 Identify the subject, the verb and the complement in the last sentences.

2.1 Third person singular (he-she-it) grammar rule in Simple Present Tense

It is a grammar rule to add –s to the verbs in third person singular in SPT. For example:

• Laura reads books

• Wilson eats pizza

• The dog runs fast

• She usually works until 6 pm

If a verb ends in –ss, -sh, ch, -z; add –es at the end of the verb.

• Pedro usually kisses her before to sleep.

• She often brushes her teeth.

• My sister washes the dishes after lunch.

•  Water freezes under 0° C. 

If a verb ends in –y before a consonant; add –ies at the end of the verb.

• The eagle flies very high. (fly)

• She always cries when she remembers her cat. (cry)

•  Carlos studies English every day. (study) 

Exceptions:  verbs in –y preceded by a vowel. Examples: play, buy

• Rafael Nadal plays tennis so good.

• She never buys groceries at Super Inter. 

Exercise C. Write the correct form of the verb in parenthesis.

• Bertha _______(guide) the IETIE school in Jamundi.

• He _________ (play) basketball on Wednesday.

• She ________(dance) Cumbia and Salsa.

• Firulais _______(bark) at nights.

• Sandra________(watch)T.V. everyday.

• The earth _______(revolve) around the sun.

• The lion ________(catch) other animals in the jungle

• Nairo Quintana _______(climb) hills in his bike very fast.

• Dr. Salazar ________ (care) people with his medicines.

• The whale ________(swim) for the tropical oceans.

•    She _______(take) a shower after playing tennis. 

3.    Interrogative 

When writing interrogative sentences in simple present tense, use auxiliary DO-DOES as the figure shows. 

Remember this:

Do     →     I, you, we, they.

Does      →      He, she, it.

Read these examples

3.1 Questions with auxiliary Do. 

• Do you speak English?

• Do we need this?

• Do I learn fast?

• Do they live in Jamundi?

• Do you like me?

3.2 Questions with auxiliary Does.

• Does she read books?

• Does he practice his guitar lessons every day?

• Does the girl watch too much tv?

• Does Oscar teach English?

3.3 Questions with Wh-questions + DO – DOES

Remember wh-questions are: 

• What (qué-cuál)
•  Where (dónde),
• When (cuándo)
•  Who (quién),
• Which (cuál)
•  Why (por qué)
•  How (cómo)

3.3.1 Wh- question structure + Do – Does 

Follow this structure to ask questions using these expressions.

Example:

• Where do you live?

• What does she do?

• When do you do shopping?

• Which country do you like the best, USA or Canada?

• Why do you speak many languages?

• How do you feel?

Exercise D

Fill the gaps with the correct auxiliary verb

D.1______ you read books?

D,2______ dogs love cats?

D.3______we love each other?

D.4 ______ they work together?

D.5______ she study English?

D.6______ he play soccer?

D.7_____you watch t.v. at night?

D.8_____ your teacher explain well?

D.9_____ the car work?

D.10 _____ Cali have more population than Medellin?

D.11_____ People from Jamundi like ice cream?

D.12 _____ Jamundi belong to Cali city?

Exercise E.

Write the question for the answers.

E.g. Where does Sebastian live?  He lives in Jamundi

E.1 ______________________? She works every day.

E.2 ______________________? They study at IETIE

E.3 ______________________? I prefer to eat cholado than ice cream.

E.4 ______________________? He feels so bored and sad.

E.5 ______________________? Because Jamundi’s cost of living is cheap.

E.6 ______________________? I live with my mom. I don’t have brothers or sisters.

E.7 ______________________? Jamundi’s people work in markets and small family business.

E.8 ______________________? We have English classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.

E.9 ____________________? Maluma sings reggaeton music

E.10___________________? Colombia produces coffee, banana, flowers and oil. 

E.11 ___________________? Carlos speaks 3 languages: Spanish, English and French.

4.   
Negative  

Use this structure to write negative sentences in simple present tense. Remember you can use the contractions “don’t and doesn’t”.

Examples:

• I don’t study French. I study English

• They don’t work on weekends

• We don’t like burgers

• You don’t come to school by car

• The water doesn’t boil at 90° C

• Marcela doesn’t get up at 5:00 am.

• Esteban and Martin don’t like to play basketball. They prefer playing soccer.

• The sun doesn´t revolve around the planets. Planets revolve around the sun.

• I don’t chat by social nets too much. I like reading instead.

Exercise F

Complete these negative statements with don’t or doesn’t.

• I ____ speak Chinesse. I speak Japanesse

• We ____ cook on weekends. We prefer to eat at Jamundi’s food restaurants.

• He ____ read comic books. He prefers to read novels.

• Laura ____get up early on Saturdays and Sundays because she ____work on weekends.

• My mom _____ go to bed after 9:00 pm because she wakes up very early.

• Most of Jamundi’s people ______ go to Cali by MIO. They travel by Transur or private transportation. 

Exercise G

This chart shows the most common English verbs. Complete it.