THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

1. Use: The present simple is used

Ø      to talk about habits and work routines: I get up at 6.00 every morning.

Ø      to talk about facts and things that are generally true: It hardly rains in the desert.

Ø      with verbs that describe permanent states: She has a good job.

2. Form

Ø      To be

+	I am (I’m) She/ He / It is  (she’s/he’s/it’s) We/ You/ They are (we’re/you’re/they’re)	a student. students.
-	I am not (I’m not) She/ He / It is not  (isn’t) We/ You/ They are not (aren’t)	a student. students.
?	Am I Is she Are they	late?

Ø      Regular verb

+	I / You / We / They work. He / She / It works*.	* pay attention to the spelling rules of the verbs ending in e, y, o, ss, sh, ch.
-	I / You / We / They do not (don’t) work. He / She / It does not (doesn’t) work.
?	Do I / we / you / they work? Does he / she / it work?

3. Adverbs of frequency: appear in front of the main verb but after the verb to be

Frequency	Adverbs of Frequency	Examples
100%	always	I always go to bed before 11pm.
90%	usually	I usually walk to work.
80%	normally / generally	I normally go to the gym.
70%	often / frequently	I often use the internet.
40%	sometimes	I sometimes forget my wife's birthday.
30%	occasionally	I occasionally eat junk food.
10%	seldom / rarely	I seldom read the newspaper.
5%	hardly ever	I hardly ever drink alcohol.
0%	never	I never swim in the sea.

EXERCISES

I. Write the third person singular form of the verbs:

play         ………………           match         ………………           dance       ……………….

wash        ………………           buy             ………………           leave        ………………

carry        ………………           cut              ………………           put           ………………

catch        ………………           clean          ………………            travel       ………………

read          ………………           do               ………………           write        ………………

study        ………………            have           ………………           forget      ……………… 

watch       ………………            push           ………………           eat           ………………

chew        ………………            make          ………………          change     ………………

stay          ………………            finish          ………………           grow        ………………

push         ………………            worry          ………………           run          ………………

cook         ………………            say              ………………          become    ………………

II. Put the verbs in the brackets into the correct form

1.     I (be) ________ at school at the weekend.

2.     She (not study) ________ on Friday.

3.     My students (be not) ________ hard working.

4.     He (have) ________ a new haircut today.

5.     I usually (have) ________ breakfast at 7.00.

6.     She (live) ________ in a house?

7.     Where your children (be) ________?

8.     My sister (work) ________ in a bank.

9.     She (always, get) _____________ good mark for final examination.

10.  She (live)________ in Florida.

11. It (rain)________ almost every day in Manchester.

12. We (fly)________ to Spain every summer.

13. My mother (fry)________ eggs for breakfast every morning.

14. The bank (close)________ at four o'clock.

15. John (try)________ hard in class, but I (not think) ________ he'll pass.

16. Jo is so smart that she (pass)________ every exam without even trying.

17. My life (be) so boring. I just (watch)________ TV every night.

18. My best friend (write)________ to me every week.

19.  You (speak) ________ English?

20. She (not live) ________ in HaiPhong city.