Grammar (3): the simple present tense 

1. The simple present tense: forms and pronunciation

They often read / I like chips  / She works a lot   / We watch TV every day  / The neighbour's dog always barks / I use my computer all the time ...

= present simple (positive) 

! Third person singular!        F  + -s 
He likes  chips    /   My sister plays the guitar   /   It rains a lot in this country  


! have  à   has      I have a car à  He has a car.


 ! No -s ending in the third person singular for the following verbs (auxiliaries): must / can / may / would / will / should etc.
She must work a lot. / He can go out every weekend. / She may park her car here. /  She should see her doctor. /  He will send the letter.  

! Third person singular!       F + -es
She often misses her bus / She watches a new film every week at the pictures / She finishes her essay. /  The bee buzzes. /  The car crashes against the wall. /  She manages to work late. / He fixes the computer

à      + -es   after the sounds / s /; / z /; / tʃ /; / dʒ / ; / ʃ / ; / ʒ /



She does a lot of exercise.  /  He goes to the cinema once every two months.

à      + -es   after final -o in do and go



She sometimes carries heavy bags.  /  She never cries.  /   He flies to Canada once a year. / She sometimes empties the bin.

à      + -es   after -i coming from -y preceded by a consonant
In other words: -y changes into an -i before -es provided the -y is preceded by a consonant.
         
          cry --- cries             empty --- empties              fly --- flies         

But not in 'enjoy'  or 'obey' for instance because the -y is preceded by a vowel:
She enjoys being with us.  /  He obeys orders.



! Pronunciation of final -es
      = /iz/ after the sounds / s /; / z /; / tʃ /; /dʒ / ; / ʃ / ; / ʒ / 
He / She    crashes / finishes / watches / manages / memorizes  / fixes...



! Pronunciation of final -s
 = / s / after a voiceless consonant except after   / s / ; / ʃ / ; / tʃ /

A voiceless sound in English is a sound that is produced with no vibration of the vocal chords; not much "voice" is needed, hence the word "voiceless". 
The voiceless sounds in English are /p/; /t/; :k/ ; /f/ ; /s/; /ʃ /; /tʃ/ ; / θ /.

She laughs  /fs/  a lot.   /    He works  /ks/ too much.   /   She stops  /ps / smoking    


= / z / after a voiced consonant (except after /z/ ; /dʒ/ ; /ʒ/ ) , a vowel or diphthong

A voiced sound in English is a sound that is produced by vibration of the vocal chords; quite a lot of "voice" is needed to produce them, hence the word "voiced". 

 The voiced sounds in English are:
  a. All vowels and diphthongs

  b. The voiced consonants like / m/ ; /n / ; /g / ;  /d / ; / l / ;  / r / ; / ŋ / ( = 'ng' as in "ring" )  ; /ð / ( = 'th' as in "bathe" ) ; /v/ ; /b/

He plays  /eɪz/ the guitar.  /   She enjoys  /ɔɪz/ the party.    /    He sees / i:z/ the sea. /
She carries /i:z/  the bag.  She learns /nz / how to play the bass. /   He calls  /lz/ the boss. /  She receives  /vz/ letters. / She goes / on holiday once a year. /  She rings her sister.  / She bathes the baby every evening.


 
I don’t read a lot. / She doesn’t work much.  / We don’t see them very often. / They don't go on holiday every year. 

= present simple (negative)

à You need don't (do not) and doesn't (does not) to make negative sentences in the present simple tense.
But not for auxiliaries:
I must --- I mustn't / I must not...
She can come --- she can't come / She cannot come.
You may speak here --- You mayn't speak here. / You may not speak here.

I am (I’m) à I am not (I’m not)      /  You are (You’re)  à You are not  (You’re not / You aren’t)

He is (He’s) à He is not (He’s not / He isn’t) 

 ! I have a car à I don’t have a car   /  She has a car  à  She doesn’t have a car
But:  I have got / I've got  a car  à  I haven’t got a car   /  She has got  / She's got a car  à  She hasn’t got a car.




Do you see your friends a lot?
Does she travel abroad?
Where do they live?
How do you come to work? By car?
How often do you travel abroad?

= present simple (interrogative)

à You need the do support to ask questions in the present simple tense.

But not for auxiliaries:
Can I use your mobile phone?
Must you be on time at work?
Where are you from?
Is she late today?





2. The simple present tense: use

We use the simple present:
a)  to describe  facts  or things  that are (scientifically) true or express a habit

 I like reading books and magazines.

She works very hard every day: she gets up at 5 a.m., starts working at 8 a.m. and finishes at 8 p.m.
The Earth goes round the Sun.
She speaks four languages.

 

b) with the adverbs of frequency (always, usually, generally, often, normally, sometimes, never, hardly ever , occasionally ...)

He always gets up at 7.00
We never go on holiday.
I sometimes phone her.
It often rains
She is always late

 à Have you noticed the position of the frequency adverbs?

 

c) with adverbial phrases that express a frequency (once a week / every month / once a year / twice a day / three times an hour / every second / at the weekend / during the holiday ...  

 

We go out at the weekend.

I go to the cinema once a month.
She phones me three times a day.
They buy a new car once every ten years.
 

 à Have you noticed the position of the adverbial phrases of frequency?

 

 

EXERCISES

 1. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of these verbs.
 

boil     close     cost     cost     go     have     like     meet     open     smoke     speak     teach     wash 

1.  She’s very clever: she ................. five languages.
2. Robert ................. 10 cigarettes a day.
3. We usually .................. dinner at  7.30.
4. I ................... films. I often .................. to the cinema.
5. Water ................. at 100 degrees Celsius.
6. Banks ................. at 9.00 a m.
7. The City Museum ................. at 5 pm.
8. Food is expensive. It ............... a lot of money.
9. Shoes are expensive. They ................. a lot of money.
10. Laureen is a teacher. She ................ geography to teenagers.
11. Your job is very interesting. You .................. a lot of people.
12. Peter ................. his hair every day.

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2. Look at the information in the box. Write sentences about Tom and Keren, about George and yourself!

 

How often do you...?	€    Tom and Keren	K George	J You
drink coffee read magazines? get up before 7 o’clock?	never often sometimes	usually never always	? ? ?

 

 1. - Tom and Keren never drink coffee.
     - George...
     - I ...

2. - Tom and Keren ...
    - George ...
    - I ...

3. - Tom and Keren ...
     - George ...
    - I ...

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3.  Complete the sentences: all of them are negative. Use the negative form + one of these verbs!

cost     drive     go     know     play     see     sell     smoke     wash     wear

1. ‘Have a cigarette!’  ‘No, thank you, I ...
2. They ...                   magazines in that shop.
3. She has a car but she ...                               very often.
4. I like films but I ...                               to the cinema very often.
5. He...                                      very often.
6. It’s a cheap hotel. It ...                                    much to stay here.
7. He likes football but he ...                                         very often.
8. I ...                                   much about politics.
9. She is married but she ...                           a ring.
10. He lives near our house but we ...                                   him very often

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4. Ask questions using 'you' as the subject! 

I wash my hair twice a week. (How often)

I live in London. (Where)

I watch TV every evening. (How often)

I get up at 6 o’clock. (What time)

I go to school by bus. (How)

 

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5. Ask questions! 

1. (He) often play football?
2. Excuse me,  (you) speak English?
3. What (you) do?
4. What (your sister) do?
5. How often (you) go dancing?
6. What time (you) usually get up?
7. What (you) usually have for breakfast?
8. Where (she) come from?
9. How (they) go to work?
10. What (you) do for a living?

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6. Write positive or negative short answers about you!

Do you smoke?    Yes, I do /  No, I don’t.
Do you live in a big city?
Do you drink a lot of coke?
Do you often speak Dutch?
Do you play a musical instrument?
Does it rain a lot in this country?
Do you play computer games?
Do you often watch television?
Do you usually go on holiday?
Do you often phone your friends?


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7.  Rewrite each sentence as a positive or negative sentence, or a question, according to the instructions.

1 I visit my grandparents very often. (negative)   I don't visit my grandparents very often.

2 Does he go to school every day? (positive short answer)        Yes, he does.

3 She comes from China. (question)      Does she come from China?

4 She goes to work by train. (question)

5 We watch television every night. (negative)

6 He doesn't walk to work every day. (positive)

7 She plays football every Sunday. (question)

8 He washes his car once every two weeks. (question)

9 They live in Australia. (question)

10 They go to school by bus. (question)

11 Does she finish work at five o'clock? (positive short answer)

12 He goes to the cinema on Fridays. (question)

13 I come from Africa. (negative)

14 Does he live in this street? (negative short answer)

15 He works in a restaurant. (question)

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8. How do you pronounce the final 's' (third person singular) in the following senences?

She laughs  /  ..... /  a lot.
He manages / ..... / to use the machine.
She always passes / ..... / her exams.
She stops / ..... / spending too much time on the internet.
He wears / ..... / old clothes at home.
She drinks / ..... / tea at 5 o'clock.
She goes / ..... / to bed at 11 pm.
He loves / ...../ sweets.
It rains / ..... / too much.
It freezes / ..... / a lot in her country.
She cries / ..... / when she sees / ...... / sad films.
She writes / ..... / mails every day.
He phones / ..... / from time to time.
Water boils / ..... / at 100°C.
She says / ...../ she hates / ..... / me.


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When you are finished, check your answers!

1.

1. She’s very clever: she speaks five languages.
2. Robert smokes 10 cigarettes a day.
3. We usually have dinner at  7.30.
4. I like films. I often go to the cinema.
5. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
6. Banks open at 9.00 a m.
7. The City Museum closes at 5 pm.
8. Food is expensive. It costs a lot of money.
9. Shoes are expensive. They cost a lot of money.
10. Laureen is a teacher. She teaches geography to teenagers.
11. Your job is very interesting. You meet a lot of people.
12. Peter washes his hair every day.

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 2.

 

 1. - Tom and Keren never drink coffee.
     - George usually drinks coffee.
     - I  (your own answer)...

2. - Tom and Keren often read magazines.
    - George never reads magazines.
    - I  (your own answer).

3. - Tom and Keren  sometimes get up before 7 o'clock.
     - George always gets up before 7 o'clock.
    - I  (your own answer).

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3.

1. ... I don't smoke.
2. They don't sell magazines...
3. ... but she doesn't drive very often.
4. ... but I don't go to the cinema very often.
5. He doesn't wash very often.
6. ... It doesn't cost much...
7. ... but he doesn't play very often.
8. I don't know much about politics.
9. ... but she doesn't wear a ring.
10. ... but we don't see him very often.

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4.

How often do you wash your hair?
Where do you live?
How often do you  watch TV?
What time do you get up?
How do you go to school?


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5.

1. Does he often play football?
2. ... do you speak English?
3. What do you do?
4. What does your sister do?
5. How often do you go dancing?
6. What time do you usually get up?
7. What do you usually have for breakfast?
8. Where does she come from?
9. How do they go to work?
10. What do you do for a living?


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6.
Your own answers!


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7.

1  I don't visit my grandparents very often.

2  Yes, he does.

3  Does she come from China?

4  Does she go to work by train?
5  We don't watch television every night.

6  He walks to work every day.

7  Does she play football every Sunday?

8  Does he wash his car once every two weeks?

9  Do they live in Australia?

10 Do they go to school by bus?

11 Yes, she does.

12 Does he go to the cinema on Fridays?

13 I don't come from Africa.

14 No, he doesn't.

15 Does he work in a restaurant?

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8.

She laughs  /  s  /  a lot.
He manages / iz / to use the machine.
She always passes / iz  / her exams.
She stops / s / spending too much time on the internet.
He wears / z / old clothes at home.
She drinks / s. / tea at 5 o'clock.
She goes / z / to bed at 11 pm.
He loves / z / sweets.
It rains / z / too much.
It freezes / iz / a lot in her country.
She cries / z / when she sees / z / sad films.
She writes / s / mails every day.
He phones / z / from time to time.
Water boils / z / at 100°C.
She says / z / she hates / s / me.