The Present Simple
We use the present simple to talk about things which happen in general, when we talk about things which we do every day, always, sometimes or often (see also adverbs of frequency).
I get up at 7 am.
I play tennis three times a week.
You drink two cups of coffee a day.
You sleep out every night (Big Rock Candy Mountain)
The present simple of regular verbs uses the base form for all its forms except the 3rd person singular when we add an s.
She works from Monday to Friday.
She goes to the cinema every Saturday night.
He often eats curry.
The United States has a population of 300 million.
Here are two regular verbs in the present simple:
|
To Play |
To Like |
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|
I play |
We play |
|
I like |
We like |
|
You play |
You play |
|
You like |
You like |
|
He plays |
They play |
He likes |
They drink |
|
When we make negative sentences or questions, we use the auxiliary verb To Do.
|
To Do |
To Do (negative) |
|||
|
I do |
We do |
I don’t |
We don’t |
|
|
You do |
You do |
You don’t |
You don’t |
|
|
He does |
They do |
He doesn’t |
They don’t |
|
When we make negative sentences in the present simple we use the negative form of the verb to do and the base form of the verb.
|
Subject |
To Do (negative) |
Base form of verb |
|
|
I
|
don’t
|
like
|
cake |
|
You |
don’t |
drink |
milk. |
|
He |
doesn’t |
speak |
Japanese. |
Examples
She doesn’t drink coffee.
We don’t live here.
They don’t cook very well.
When we make questions we use do or does and the base form of the verb:
|
Auxiliary |
Subject |
Verb |
|
|
Do |
I |
have |
time?
|
|
Do |
you |
live |
near here?
|
|
Does |
he |
play |
football?
|
Examples
Does she like dancing?
Do we know them?
Do they speak French?
If we add a Question Word we use the following construction:
|
Question word |
Auxiliary |
Subject |
Verb |
|
Where |
do |
you |
live? |
|
What time |
do |
they |
get up? |
|
How many cds
|
do |
you |
have? |
Examples
When does he finish work?
What kind of car do you drive?
How many languages does she speak?
If we use the verb To Be, we do not use do or does.
|
Verb To Be |
Verb To Be (negative) |
|||
|
I am |
We are |
I‘m not / I aren’t |
We aren’t |
|
|
You are |
You are |
You aren’t |
You aren’t |
|
|
He is |
They are |
He isn’t |
They aren’t |
|
Examples
I‘m hungry.
You are late.
They aren’t very tall.