Present simple

Presentation
O Form
The table below shows how to form the present simple tense of the verb to w ork. All verbs
except to be and the modals (see Units 23-6) follow this pattern.
For negatives and questions we use the auxiliary do and the bare infinitive:

I w ork I do not/don 't w ork Do I work?

You w ork You d o n ot/don't w ork Do you work?
He/she/it w orks He/she/it d oes n ot/doesn 't w ork D oes he/she/it work?
We w ork We d o not/don't w ork D o we work?
They w ork They d o not/don't w ork Do they work?

Note: The short forms of the negative are commonly used in speech and informal writing.
Common mistakes:
1 Forgetting to put the -s ending on the he/she/it forms.
All verbs except modals must end in -s in the third person singular affirmative:
wrong: * My new laptop w ork very well.
right: My new laptop w orks very well.
2 Adding the -s to the he/she/it forms of negatives and questions.
We add the -es form to the auxiliary (do), and not to the main verb (work):
wrong: * I know Karl doesn't w orks in Accounts.
right: I know Karl doesn't w ork in Accounts.

© Permanent situations
The present simple is for actions and situations that are generally or permanently true:
IBM is one o f the largest computer companies in the world; it m an u factu res mainframes and
PCs, and sells its products all over the world.

Q Routines and frequency

We use the present simple to talk about routines and things we do regularly:
I usually g et to the showroom at about 8.00 and I h av e a quick look at my emails. The sales reps
arrive at about 8.15 and we open at 8.30.

O Facts
We use the present simple to talk about scientific or other facts:
Superconductors are materials that condu ct electricity and d o n o t create electrical resistance.

O Programmes and timetables

We use the present simple to talk about programmes and timetables. When we use the
present simple like this, it can refer to the future:
The fast train to London leaves at 7.39 and g ets in to Paddington at 8.45. Then you catch the
Heathrow Express to the airport - it goes every fifteen minutes.

Present simple 7
 Practice
Form
Complete the dialogue using the verbs in brackets. See the example.
A: Where 1 (come) from?

A: What 3........................................(you/do)?
B: I'm a software engineer. I 4........................................(work) for Nokia.
A: And so where 5........................................(you/live)? In Helsinki?
B: No, well, I 6........................................(not/live) there permanently. I
7........................................(spend) the week there but every weekend I
8........................................(go) back to a small town called Turku -
that's where my wife 9....................................... (come) from.
A: 10........................................(you/travel) to England often?
B: Yes, I 11........................................(visit) two or three times a year.

EXERCISE 0 Permanent situations - company activities

Complete the inform ation about the business activities o f the Finnish com pany
Nokia, using the verbs in the boxes. See the exam ple.

IM O K IA Originally a paper-making business, the Finnish company Nokia is now one of the
world’s largest mobile telecommunications companies. There are three main
C o n n e c t in g P e o p l e
divisions — Nokia networks, Nokia Mobile Phones and Nokia Ventures Organization.

N O K IA M ob ile p h o n e s
This division designs and 1 m a a u -CAc-twre.^ mobile phones for over 130 countries worldwide;
Its very wide product range 2 .......................the different needs of different customers; the
simplest phones 3 .......................customers to make voice calls, but others 4 ........................
video capability, Internet access and other advanced features.

allow meet provide

N O K IA N e tw o rk s
Of course, phones 5 .......................without a network, and this division 6 ........................
systems and infrastructure networks of all kinds. Nokia7 .......................closely with telecom
operators and Internet service providers so that they can serve their customers better.
The networks are modular, so they can start small and then develop as the customer base

grow not/function offer work

N O K IA V e n tu re s O rg a n iza tio n
The Ventures Organization 9 .......................at new business areas and opportunities for the
future - even if there 10.......................to be a natural connection with the rest of the company.
The organization also 1•.......................in new technology businesses and the US-based
Innovent team 12.......................inventors and entrepreneurs to develop their ideas.

help invest look not/seem

8 Present simple
 EXERCISE © Routines and frequency
Complete the dialogue by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct form.
See the exam ple.
Brian: I need to speak to Gina about this new publicity brochure. ! bo you k;»\ow
(you/know) where she is?
Diana: She 2............................(not/work) on Fridays. She gave up her full-time job and
now she 3............................ (work) part-time.
Brian: Right. When 4............................(she/come) to the office?
Diana: Well, she 5............................(come) in from Monday to Thursday, but she
6............................(not/stay) all day. She usually 7..............................(start) at 9.00
and 8............................(go) home at about 2.15.

EXERCISE O Scientific facts

Com plete the passage using the verbs in the boxes. See the exam ple.

Hydrogen is the When an electric current This process9 ......................

simplest and most 5 ................. through water, pollution, and this
common element in the the water6 ................. up 10...................... that hydrogen
universe, and 1 a very high into two gases - hydrogen could be a useful fuel for
energy content per gram. As it is and oxygen. When hydrogen the cars of the future. At the
so lightweight, rockets and space 7 .................., it s................ moment, it 11.....
shuttles2 ................. hydrogen back into water. a lot of electricity
as a power source. Hydrogen burn pass produce hydrogen
rarely3 ................. alone as a split turn from water, but
gas because it is chemically active some researchers
and usually4 ................. with 12..................... ........... that new
other elements to form different production methods will
compounds. be found.
combine T iu v C believe mean
stand use not/cause take

EXERCISE @ Programmes and timetables

Complete the dialogue by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct form . See
the exam ple.
Laura: Have you got the details of the Easyjet flight? What time 1 doe* it arrive,
(it/arrive) at Nice?
Claire: It 2................................(get) in at 10.05. Now there's also a later one that
3........................ (go) from Luton at 19.00 but it 4.......................... (not/get) in until
22.05.
Laura: That's a bit late. Did you check Eurostar?
Claire Yes, there's a train th a t5........................ (leave) Waterloo at 8.27 and that
6........................ (reach) Lille at 11.29. Then you have to change trains, but there's
no problem because the Nice train 7........................ (not/leave) until 12.17, so you
have 45 minutes. Then it 8........................ (stop) at a few stations on the way and
9........................ (arrive) at Nice at 20.06.

Present simple 9
 Production
TA SK 1 Choose a job title from box A and a verb from box B. Describe w hat people with
these jobs do, m aking any necessary changes to the verbs. See the exam ple.
A B
Personnel officers Management consultants invest advise
An architect A stockbroker design look after
A journalist An air steward write arrange
Venture capitalists Auditors check buy and sell

1 Ä ir e.w<*.rd look.£ Ä'fte.r passengers on a plane.

2 ...................................................................................... stocks and shares.
3 ...................................................................................... houses.
4 ..................................................................................... in small, high-risk companies.
5 ...................................................................................... the accounts of a company.
6 ...................................................................................... companies on how they should be run.
7 .................................................................................... . articles for a newspaper.
8 ...................................................................................... interviews.

TA SK 2 Look at the inform ation about Nokia on page 8. Write down some sim ilar
inform ation about the different divisions and business activities of your company.

TA SK 3 Answer the follow ing questions about your daily routine.

1 How do you get to work in the morning?

2 How long does it take to get to work?

3 What sort of things do you do in the mornings?

4 What do you do for lunch?

5 Wrhat do you do in the afternoons?

6 What time do you usually finish?

7 What do you do at the weekends?

10 Present simple