UNIT

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

8 Affirmative and Negative Statements, Time
Expressions: In/On/At, Like/Need/Want

UNIT GOALS OPENING TASK

Looking at Healthy
• Make affirmative and and Unhealthy Lifestyles
negative statements
using the simple
present tense
• Know how to spell and
pronounce the third
person singular form of
verbs in the simple
present tense
• Use frequency and
time expressions
MICHAEL
• Use the simple present
tense to:
• talk about habits
and routines
• talk about things
that are always true
• talk about what you
like, want, or need

SAM

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STEP 1
Look at the photos of Michael and Sam. Michael has a very healthy lifestyle. Sam has an
unhealthy lifestyle. Use your own knowledge of healthy and unhealthy habits. Imagine what
Michael’s and Sam’s habits are. Discuss their habits with your partner.

STEP 2
For each habit, write one statement about Michael and one statement about Sam.

HABITS MICHAEL’S HABITS SAM’S HABITS

1. FOOD

2. DRINK

3. EXERCISE

4. CIGARETTES

5. SLEEP

6. HOBBIES
or ACTIVITIES

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form

FOCUS 1 Simple Present Tense:

Affirmative Statements
SUBJECT VERB
I
You* work.
We
They
He
She works.
It
*Both singular and plural

EXERCISE 1
Read the true statements about Michael and Sam. Circle the correct form of the verb in
each statement.

1. Michael and Sam are friends. They (work/works) at the same computer company.
2. Michael (love/loves) his job.
3. Sam (feel/feels) stressed at work.
4. They (share/shares) an office.
5. They (work/works) hard.
6. Michael (eat/eats) three healthy meals every day.
7. He (drink/drinks) a lot of water.
8. Sam (skip/skips) breakfast.
9. He (order/orders) take-out food from nearby restaurants.
10. Michael and Sam both (like/likes) sports.
11. Michael (get/gets) a good night’s sleep.
12. Sam has trouble sleeping at night. He (take/takes) sleeping pills to help him sleep.
13. Michael and Sam (watch/watches) football on TV together on weekends.
14. Sam (smoke/smokes) half a pack of cigarettes a day.
15. Michael and Sam (go/goes) out for dinner together on Friday nights.
16. Michael (exercise/exercises) three times a week.
17. Sam (spend/spends) his free time in front of the TV.
18. Michael and Sam (buy/buys) season tickets to baseball games.

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EXERCISE 2
Work with a partner. For each habit, find one thing about you and your partner that is
the same. Write a sentence in the WE column. Then write two more sentences. Look at
item 3 for an example.

HABIT WE YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. FOOD
2. DRINK
3. EXERCISE We both like sports. I play tennis. He plays soccer.
4. CIGARETTES
5. SLEEP
6. HOBBIES or
ACTIVITIES

FOCUS 2 Talking About Habits and Routines

use
EXAMPLES EXPLANATION
(a) Michael exercises several times a week. Use the simple present tense to talk about habits
or routines (things that happen again and again).
(b) Michael and Sam eat dinner together on
Friday nights.

EXERCISE 3
Match each occupation with what the people do. Use the correct verb forms and make
statements aloud.
Example: A doctor takes care of sick people.
1. a doctor a. repair cars
2. construction workers b. enforce the law
3. a mechanic c. greet people
4. air traffic controllers d. take care of sick people
5. a receptionist e. build houses
6. taxi drivers f. direct airplanes
7. police officers g. work in emergencies
8. a firefighter h. take passengers to different places
Which of these jobs are the most stressful? Explain why.

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form

FOCUS 3 Third Person Singular:

Spelling and Pronunciation
BASE FORM OF VERB SPELLING PRONUNCIATION
1. The final sound of the verb is Add s.
“voiceless” (for example:
f/k/p/t/s/th):
sleep Michael sleeps eight /s/
hours a night.
2. The final sound of the verb is Add s.
“voiced” (for example:
b/d/g/l/m/n/r/v or a vowel):
feel He feels stressed. /z/
3. The verb ends in sh, ch, Add es. This adds another syllable
x, z, or ss: to the verb.
watch Sam watches TV. /iz/
4. The verb ends in a Change y to i and add es.
consonant + y:
worry Sam worries about his job. /z/
5. The verb ends in a vowel + y: Add s.
play Michael plays tennis on Sunday. /z/

6. Irregular Forms:
have Michael has a healthy lifestyle. /z/
go He goes to the gym twice a week. /z/
do Michael does the cooking. /z/

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