Simple Present

The simple present is used:

• to give opinions - I like ice cream. I don't like spicy food.
• to talk about schedules - The library opens at eight. It doesn't open at 7.
• to talk about daily habits (routine actions)- Sara eats a cheese for breakfast every day. She doesn't eat cereal.
• to give facts - The earth circles the sun. The moon doesn't circle the sun.

The spelling of the third person singular form of the simple present:

All the verbs take an "s" in the simple present when conjugated in the third person singular (he, she, it) form:

Examples:

• I visit my parents every summer holiday. But my wife visits her parents every weekend.
• My brother meets his girlfriend everyday.

So the rule is:

He / she / it + Verb + S

There are however some special cases. Here are the spelling rules:

Silent e	Vowel + y	Consonant + y	Verbs ending ino	Verbs ending in s, z, sh, tch,ch
close = closes  note = notes	play = plays say = says	study = studies  marry = marries	go = goes  do = does	miss = misses buzz = buzzes hatch = hatches  finish = finishes teach = teaches

Things to remember about the simple present:

1.In the interrogative forms, we use "do" or "does".

• "Do you like the house?"
• "Does she go to school?"

2; Verbs never take an "s" in the the negative and interrogative forms.

• "Does he speak German?"
• "Do they play soccer?"
• She doesn't like ice cream.

3. don't is the short form of "do not". You can say either:

• I do not speak Italian, or
• I don't speak Italian.

4.doesn't is the short form of "does not". you can say either:

• He does not listen to jazz music, or
• He doesn't listen to jazz music.

FORM

Affirmative:

Subject + verb + complements

Example: I play tennis everyday.

We add letters “s” to the verb with the third person (he, she, it)

Ex: She plays tennis everyday.

Negative

Subject + don’t or doesn’t + complements

Ex: I don’t play tennis.

       She doesn’t play tennis.     

                      

Don’t: I, You, We, They

Doesn’t: He, She, It

Interrogative

Do or Does + Subject + verb + complements

Ex: Do you play tennis?     Yes, I do / No, I don’t.

       Does she play tennis? Yes, she does / No, she doesn’t.

Do: I, You, We, They

Does: He, She, It 

Here you have a video explaining the simple present, have a look!!! 

 

Click on the following links to practice: 

 http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=714 

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1052 


I hope you like it!!!
María José