The Present Simple

with THE SIMPSONS by Pepa Mut

When do we use the
Present Simple?
Homer works at the Nuclear
Power Plant in Springfield.
●
We use the
Present Simple to
talk about:
-things that are
always true
-permanent states
-regular habits or
routines
Homer likes eating doughnuts.

●
We use the
Present Simple
with stative verbs:
-love, like, hate, prefer...

-feel, smell, taste, hear, …

-think, consider, agree,

believe,...

-have, own, belong to

-cost, weigh, measure...

 Frequency adverbs
They are placed between the subject
and the verb:
●
Marge usually does the shopping on
Saturdays.
●
Lisa sometimes plays the saxophone at
home.
●
Maggie always goes to bed at nine.

But after “to be”:

He's never late.

Longer time expressions can either go

at the beginning or at the end:
●
Patty and Selma love watching old
movies in the evening.
 Negative sentences
●
Moe's Tavern doesn't
usually close.
●
Mr Burns doesn't like
spending money.
●
Willie, the janitor,
doesn't like Bart's
pranks.
●
Carl and Lenny don't talk
much at work.
 Questions
Does Milhouse like playing with Bart? Yes, he does.
Where does Ned Flanders live? He lives...
Does the Chief of Police catch all the criminals?
Do children like Crusty the Clown?
What do the kids think of Otto?
 Affirmative Negative Questions
I speak I don't speak
Do I speak?
You speak You don't speak
Do you speak?
He speaks He doesn't speak
Does he speak?
She speaks She doesn't speak
Does she speak?
It speaks It doesn't speak
Does it speak?
We speak We don't speak
Do we speak?
You speak You don't speak
Do you speak?
They speak They don't speak
Do they speak?

*spelling: goes, does,

Short answers:
misses, watches,
Yes, I do
washes, studies,flies,
No, I don't
but: plays, stays
Yes, he does.
No, he doesn't
 Third person singular spelling:
He, she, it + verb-s: Smithers works for Mr. Burns.

-Verbs ending in ss, x, sh, ch, o add -es

Miss misses

Fix fixes

Wash washes

Watch watches

Do does

-Verbs ending in consonant + y change to: -ies

Cry cries
To be continued...