Grammar 4

The Focus of This Lesson Is Reviewing the Simple Present Tense.

"Well, how about we go to the new oyster bar on Tenth Avenue and Thirty-third
Streets?"

Let's review the simple present in this lesson by using some examples from the
dialogue and some general ones. First, let's take a look at these sentences:

1. "Do you still work at the bar on Twelfth Avenue?"

2. "Sure, sounds good."

In the first sentence, Mike is talking about Joey working at the bar, which is something
Joey does on a daily basis with no change. Therefore, the question is in the
simple present tense form and we use it with the word "still."

In the second example from the dialogue, Joey says "sounds good" in the
simple present because he's talking about their appointment together, which is true at
that moment of the conversation and is not expected to change soon. The "sounds
good" does have a pronoun before it, but in casual speech, we often drop the pronoun.

Here are some general examples of sentences with verbs that have some spelling
changes in the simple present tense.

For Example:

1. "The dog fetches the ball all the time."

2. "She pushes her limits every day."
3. "He fixes problems at his job."
4. "She kisses him on the cheek."
5. "Joey studies every night."

Cultural Insights
Want to Get Some Fresh Air at Lunch?

It's common for people who work to eat outside at nearby restaurants. Although many
offices have a place for the employees to eat inside, many people prefer to eat outside
just to get out of the office. Some people may even be regular customers at their
preferred places and therefore have a friendly relationship with the people who work
there.