SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

The simple present tense is employed in a sentence to represent an action or event that
takes place or just happened in the given context at the present moment. We use the
simple present tense to express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging
situations, emotions and wishes.

Examples:

1. Alan walks the dog every morning.

2. The train arrives at 5 o'clock.
3. Sarah crosses the road and asks the policeman for directions.
4. You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.

AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENTS Subject + verb + complement.

Subject Verb Complement Subject Verb Complement

I He
You work every day. She works every day.
We It
They

❖ Simple present spelling rules:

1. For most verbs we add -s to the base form to make the he, she, it form:

come comes order orders

eat eats record records

move moves travel travels

2. When the verb ends in -ch, -ss, -sh, -x or -zz, we add -es.

miss misses push pushes

kiss kisses fix fixes

watch watches buzz buzzes

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 3. When the verb ends in a consonant + -y we change y to i and add -es.

fly flies cry cries

try tries study studies

4. When the verb ends in a vowel + -y we just add -s.

buy buys pay pays

say says enjoy enjoys

5. Have, go, do are irregular.

have has go goes do does

Examples:

1. Time passes very quickly when you get older.

2. Martha does what she wants.
3. The dog breaks the fence.
4. Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.
5. He runs a long distance every day.

❖ EXERCISES: Circle the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.

1. Doctor Moffett love / loves his job.

2. He study / studies ants.
3. A salesperson sell / sells products for a company.
4. You and Anita work / works on weekends.
5. Nurses help / helps people.
6. We write / writes science books.
7. Our office close / closes at 7:00 p.m.
8. She take / takes classes at the business school.
9. You walk / walks to work every day.
10. I start / starts work at 8:00 a.m. every morning.

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 NEGATIVE STATEMENTS Subject + don't / doesn't + verb + complement.

Subject do not/ Base form of Subject does not / Base form of

don´t verb doesn´t verb
I He
You do not work. She does not work.
We don´t It doesn’t
They

Be careful!
In negative statements with does not or ✓ She doesn’t exercise every day.
doesn’t, do not add -s to the base form ✗ She doesn’t exercises every day.
of the verb.

Examples:

1. They don’t start back to school until next Monday.

2. Robert doesn’t know the answer.
3. She doesn’t live near here.
4. The boss doesn´t give us a lot of work to do.
5. They don’t spend a lot of money.

❖ EXERCISES:

1. Circle doesn’t or don’t to complete each sentence.

1. An astronaut on the International Space Station doesn’t / don’t have a lot of free time.

2. Astronauts doesn’t / don’t work all day on Saturday.

3. An astronaut doesn’t / don’t have the same schedule every day.

4. We doesn’t / don’t work on weekends.

5. I doesn’t / don’t work in an office.

6. My office doesn’t / don’t have a window.

7. She doesn’t / don’t travel for her job.

8. You doesn’t / don’t have a busy schedule.

9. The students doesn´t / don´t do the English exercises.

10. The clock doesn’t / don´t tick away the days.

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2. Change each affirmative statement to a negative statement.

1. My brother has a job.________________________________________________________

2. I drive to work. _____________________________________________________________

3. Pilots fix planes. ____________________________________________________________

4. Our teacher does homework. _________________________________________________

5. I go to the gym in the morning. ________________________________________________

6. We have class on Sunday. ____________________________________________________

7. You teach biology. __________________________________________________________

8. We have an exam on Saturday night. ___________________________________________

9. It rains a lot here in winter ___________________________________________________

10. Iron melts at 1,538 °C. ______________________________________________________

3. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

1. Saturday / don´t / to / work / They / need / on ___________________________________

2. He / have / lunch / want / at / 1:00 / doesn’t / to __________________________________

3. don´t / tonight / to / need / work / until / 7:00 / You _______________________________

4. need / buy / I / to / computer / a / don´t / new____________________________________

5. She / play / doesn´t / to / like / tennis ___________________________________________

6. want / watch / to / the game / don´t / We _______________________________________

7. doesn´t / to / He / study / in the library / like _____________________________________

8. need / I / do / don´t / my homework / to ________________________________________

9. need / I / my / call / don´t / mother / to _________________________________________

10. doesn´t / ask / to / want / a / She / question _____________________________________

INTERROGATIVE STATEMENTS Do / Does + subject + verb + complement + ?

Do Subject Base form of Does Subject Base form

verb of verb
I He
Do You work? Does She work?
We It
They

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 Examples:

1. Do you think that meat is ok to eat?

2. Does the match begin at 7pm this evening?
3. Do the fans pick up their tickets in advance?
4. Does her training start at 7 am every Saturday?
5. Do the piano lessons start on Monday?
6. Does she have any money?
7. Do you go running every morning?

❖ EXERCISES: Change the verb into the correct form:

1. ______________________ (you wake up) at five in the morning?

2. ______________________ (you go) to work by train?
3. ______________________ (she drink) coffee every morning?
4. ______________________ (he smoke) in public places?
5. ______________________ (it hurt)?
6. ______________________ (we learn) a new language?
7. ______________________ (they travel) to another country?
8. ______________________ (Emma teach) geography?
9. ______________________ (Alexander exercise) regularly?
10. ______________________ (I look) well?

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE QUESTION

I I

We work do you

You don´t work we

They hard. Where they live?

He she

She works does he

It doesn´t work it

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❖ VOCABULARY: 28 Daily activities. Read and listen.

wake up despertarse wait for the bus esperar el bus

get up levantarse take the bus tomar el bus

take a shower/bath ducharse/bañarse take classes tomar clases

get dressed vestirse meet friends reunirse con amigos

make breakfast hacer el desayuno attend meetings asistir a juntas

write and send escribir y enviar
have breakfast desayunar
emails correos
brush my teeth lavarse los dientes go to the gym ir al gimnasio

walk my dog pasear al perro have lunch almorzar

go to work ir al trabajo wait for the bus esperar el bus

drive to work manejar al trabajo buy groceries comprar provisiones

get home llegar a casa watch TV mirar la televisión

go to the
ir al super mercado take medication tomar medicinas
supermarket
wash the dishes lavar los servicios take a nap tomar una siesta

take out the garbage sacar la basura take off makeup desmaquillarse

pick up kids recoger a los niños study languages estudiar idiomas

listen to music escuchar música feed the dog alimentar al perro

put on my makeup maquillarse have dinner cenar

❖ GRAMMAR: Frequency adverbs.

100% I always take a nap in the afternoons.

I usually buy groceries on weekends.

I sometimes wash the dishes on weekdays.

0% I never drive to work.

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❖ CONVERSATION MODEL: 29 Practice the conversation model with a partner.

A: What’s your typical day like?

B: Well, I usually go to work at 9:00 and come home at 6:00.
A: And what do you do in your free time?
B: I sometimes read or watch TV. What about you?
A: Pretty much the same. Fuente: freepik.es

❖ EXERCISES:
1. Add the adverbs in parentheses to the sentences.
Example:
➢ I go to the movies. (hardly ever): I hardly ever go to the movies.

1. I get up late on Sunday (sometimes) __________________________________________

2. I watch the news on television (usually) _______________________________________
3. I study on the weekend (hardly ever) _________________________________________
4. I work on Monday morning (always)__________________________________________
5. I sing in the shower (never)__________________________________________________
6. I travel to Puno (often)_____________________________________________________

2. Put the phrases in the correct order.

a) On Saturday I usually get

b) shower. Then I go
c) to music on my walkman and watch
d) newspaper, and sometimes Iisten
e) up at about 9 o´clock, and I take a
f) a nice big breakfast, I read a
g) the people going to the stores
h) to my local coffee shop, and I have

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
a e

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 4. Write questions to complete the conversations.

1. A: ___________________________________________
B: No, I don´t live alone. I live with my family.
2. A: ___________________________________________
B: Yes, my family and I watch television in the evening.
3. A: ___________________________________________
B: Yes, I get up late on Sundays.
4. A: ___________________________________________
B: No, my sister doesn´t drive to work.
A: ___________________________________________
B: She takes the bus.
5. A: ___________________________________________
B: No, my father doesn´t work on weekends.
A: ___________________________________________
B: He works on weekdays.
6. A: ___________________________________________
B: Yes, my mother has a job. She´s a teacher.
A: ___________________________________________
B: No, she doesn´t use public transportation. She drives to work.

❖ GRAMMAR: Questions with How often.

How often do you take out the garbage?

I take out the garbage every day.

How often does she go shopping?

She goes shopping on Saturdays.

Other time expressions:

once a week
twice a week
once a year
three times a week
twice a day
three times a month
every weekend
every Friday

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 WH… QUESTIONS

❖ VOCABULARY: Wh… questions. Read and listen. Then listen again and repeat.

What? ¿Qué, Cuál, Cuáles? Why? ¿Por qué?

When? ¿Cuándo? Which? ¿Cuál o Cuáles?

Who? ¿Quién, Quiénes? Whose? ¿De quién?

Where? ¿Dónde? How? ¿Cómo?

What? ➢ What are their names?

What time? ➢ What time do you get up?

What kind of? ➢ What kind of music do you prefer?

➢ When is your birthday?

When? ➢ When do you go to Los Angeles?

➢ Who is the new teacher?

Who? ➢ Who do you live with?

➢ Where is the nearest bank?

Where? ➢ Where do you live?

➢ Why do you study English?

Why? ➢ Why is he there?

➢ Which book do you want?

Which? ➢ Which do you prefer the red or pink?

➢ Whose pen is this?

Whose? ➢ Whose book is that?

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 How? ➢ How is the trip?

How much? ➢ How much sugar do you need?

How many? ➢ How many friends do you have?

How often? ➢ How often does she go to the new

cinema?
How long?
➢ How long is the flight from Paris to
Sevilla?

Wh… question + verb to be + subject + complement + ?

➢ What is your last name? ( ¿Cuál es tu apellido? )

➢ Where are you from? ( ¿De dónde eres? )
➢ When is your birthday? ( ¿ Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? )
➢ Who is your favorite singer? ( ¿ Quién es tu cantante favorito? )
➢ How are you? ( ¿Cómo estás? )

Wh… question + do / does + subject + verb + complement + ?

➢ What do you do? ( ¿Qué haces? ¿A qué te dedicas? )

➢ What does she eat for lunch? ( ¿Qué come ella para el almuerzo? )
➢ Where do you live? ( ¿Dónde tú vives? )
➢ Where does she study? ( ¿Dónde estudia ella? )
➢ When does he take a nap? ( ¿Cuándo él toma una siesta? )

❖ EXERCISES:

1. Complete with a wh… question.

1. ______ is your telephone number? 5. _______ old is she?

2. ______ are my keys? 6. _______ is the concert?

3. ______ is your favorite singer? 7. _______ is Ronaldo from?

4. ______ is she crying? 8. _______ is the problem?

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2. Complete each question, using Is, Are, Do or Does.

1. _________ you married?

2. _________ you like dancing?
3. _________ you live with your parents?
4. _________ you have a cellphone?
5. _________ you angry?
6. _________ you have any brothers and sisters?
7. _________ your teacher Canadian?
8. _________ your brother work for your father?
9. _________ your sister have a job?
10. _________ Henry single?

3. Answer the questions about the pictures.

1. A: does she have a television?

B: _______________________________
2. A: Does she need curtains?
B: _______________________________
3. A: Does she need a sofa?
B: _______________________________
4. A: Does she have an armchair?
B: _______________________________
5. A: Does she have a rug?
B: _______________________________
6. A: Do they have a lamp ?
B: _______________________________
7. A: Do they need a table?
B: _______________________________
8. A: Do they have chairs?
B: _______________________________
9. A: Do they need a clock?
B: _______________________________
10. A: Do they have a mirror?
B: _______________________________
Fuente: Interchange third edition

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