The Simple Present Tense

Form
In the aIIirmative the simple present has the same Iorm as the inIinitive but adds an 8 Ior the
third person singular.
1.
AIIirmative Negative
I work I do not work
You work you do not work
He/ she/ it works he/ she/ it does not work
We work we do not work
They work they do not work
2.
Spelling notes
Verbs ending in ss, sh, ch, x and o add es, instead oI s alone, to Iorm the third person singular:
I kiss, he kisses I box, he boxes
I rush, he rushes I do, he does
I watch, he watches I go, he goes
When y Iollows a consonant we change the y into i and add es:
I carry, he carries I copy, he copies I try, he tries
But verbs ending in y Iollowing a vowel obey the usual rule:
I obey, he obeys I say, he says
3.
The simple present tense is oIten used with adverbs such as :
a) Always, never, occasionally, oIten, sometimes, usually, every week, on Mondays, twice a year
ect:
How oIten do you wash your hairI go to church on Sundays.
It rains in winter.
b) or with time clauses expressing routine or habitual actions.
Whenever and when
Eg.
Whenever it rains, the rooI leaks.
When you open the door a light goes on.
c) to express habitual actions:
He smokes. Dogs bark. Cats drink milk.
d) used in newspaper headlines:
MASS MURDERER ESCAPES PEACE TALKS FAIL
e) Ior a planned Iuture action or series oI actions, particularly when they reIer a journey. Travel
agents use it a good deal.
Eg.
We leave London at 10.00 next Tuesday and arrive in Paris at 13.00. We spend two hours in
Paris and leave again at 15.00. We arrive in Rome at 19.30, spend Iour hours in Rome.

Exercise
In the Iollowing description oI a Iavourite relative, Iill in the blanks using the present tense oI the
appropriate verb. Use each word only once.
Admire appear be behave bother
Dare display do enjoy expect
Have insist give like make
Praise preIer seem sound tolerate

One oI my Iavourite relatives (1)........ my uncle, my Iather`s sister`s husband.
I (2).......... to visit him because he always (3)......... me Ieel so
welcome. Not only that, my aunt (4)........ several children and we all
(5)....... each others` company.
Although my uncle (6)......... very Iriendly, he also
(7)......... a strict side which we all (8)............ him Ior. He
(9)........ no nonsense. He (10)......... that everyone oI us
(11)......... responsibly and (12)......... his or her share oI the work.
No one (13)............ to put a Ioot wrong when he or she is working with him.
This may (14)........... dull to you but I (15)......... to
know what people (`16)........ oI me. My uncle also (17)......... our
achievements generously and (18)......... me sound advice. He (19) to understand the
problems that sometimes (20)............ me.