Simple Present Tense

O Simple Present Tense é um dos tempos verbais do inglês e é equivalente ao presente do

indicativo na língua portuguesa.

Quando usar o Simple Present?

O Simple Present é um tempo verbal utilizado para indicar ações habituais que ocorrem no
presente. Além disso, ele é usado para expressar verdades universais, sentimentos, desejos,
opiniões e preferências. Por vezes, as frases no Simple Present apresentam expressões de
tempo (advérbios).

Os advérbios mais comuns são:

Now agora
Always sempre
Never nunca
Today hoje
Daily diariamente
Every day todos os dias
Often frequentemente
Sometimes às vezes
Generally geralmente
Usually usualmente
Hardly ever quase nunca

Veja alguns exemplos de frases no Simple Present Tense:

➢ Mike plays soccer very well.

➢ Julia loves chocolate.
➢ They go to school in the afternoon.
➢ I always read the newspaper in the morning.
➢ We generally travel to Brazil in December.

Regras do Simple Present

A conjugação do Simple Present varia de acordo com a pessoa verbal, com a terminação
do verbo e com o tipo de frase (afirmativa, negativa e interrogativa).
Confira abaixo a explicação sobre a formação do Simple Present nas formas afirmativa,
negativa e interrogativa.

Affirmative Form

Como regra geral, pode-se dizer que para conjugar um verbo no Simple Present, basta usá-
lo no infinitivo sem o to no caso dos pronomes I, you, we e they, e acrescentar -s, -es ou -ies
no caso dos pronomes he, she e it.
Veja abaixo um exemplo com a conjugação do verbo to work (trabalhar; funcionar):

I work
You work
He works
She works
It works
We work
You work
They work
No entanto, há algumas regras específicas para a flexão da terceira pessoa do singular
(he, she e it) que estão relacionadas com a terminação dos verbos.

• Verbos terminados em -o, -z, -ss, -ch, -sh, -x, é preciso acrescentar -es no final do
verbo.

Exemplos:
➢ To teach (ensinar) – teaches
He teaches English every day.
➢ To watch (assistir) - watches
The kid watches TV in the morning.
➢ To push (empurrar) - pushes
➢ To kiss (beijar) - kisses
➢ To go (ir) - goes
➢ To fix (consertar) - fixes

• Verbos terminados em -y precedido de consoante, retira-se o -y e acrescenta-se -ies.

Exemplos:
➢ To fry (fritar) - fries
➢ To fly (voar) – flies
The bird flies in the blue sky.
➢ To study (estudar) - studies
➢ To worry (preocupar-se) - worries

• Verbos terminados em -y precedido de vogal, acrescenta-se somente o -s.

Exemplos:
➢ To say (dizer) - says
➢ To play (brincar; jogar) - plays

Veja abaixo a estrutura de formação de frases afirmativas no Simple Present:

Sujeito + verbo principal + complemento

Exemplos:
➢ I live in Brazil. - verbo to live (morar, viver).
➢ He teaches Spanish at the university. - verbo to teach (ensinar).
➢ They prefer Italian food. - verbo to prefer (preferir).
➢ She watches TV every day. - verbo to watch (assistir).
➢ We like to go to the beach during the week. - verbo to like (gostar de).
➢ It pushes the door when it wants to get in. - verbo to push (empurrar).
➢ You always arrive late. - verbo to arrive (chegar).
➢ She always kisses her father. - verbo to kiss (beijar).
➢ He goes to the gym on weekends. - verbo to go (ir).

Negative Form

A forma negativa do Simple Present é formada com o uso dos verbos auxiliares do / does e
a palavra not. O auxiliar do é usado com os pronomes I, you, we e they. Já o auxiliar does é
usado com he, she e it.

Veja a seguir a conjugação da forma negativa do verbo to work (trabalhar; funcionar)

no Simple Present:
I do not work I don’t work
You do not work You don’t work
He does not work He doesn’t work
She does not work She doesn’t work
It does not work It doesn’t work
We do not work We don’t work
You do not work You don’t work
They do not work They don’t work

Observe que na forma negativa do Simple Present o verbo sempre é usado no infinitivo sem
o to, mesmo quando se trata da terceira pessoa do singular (he, she e it).
As frases na negativa podem ser escritas de forma completa (do not ou does not) ou de
forma contraída (don't ou doesn't):

➢ Do + not = don’t
➢ Does + not = doesn’t

Veja abaixo a estrutura de formação de frases negativas no Simple Present:

Sujeito + verbo auxiliar + not + verbo principal + complemento

Exemplos:
I do not live in Brazil.
He does not teach Spanish at the university.
They don't prefer Italian food.
She doesn't watch TV every day.
We do not like to go to the beach during the week.
It does not push the door when it wants to get in.
You don't arrive late.
She doesn't kiss her grandma before leaving.
He does not go to the gym on weekends.
She doesn't fix her car by herself.

Interrogative Form

Assim como acontece nas frases negativas, os auxiliares do e does são utilizados para formar
frases interrogativas no Simple Present.

Veja abaixo a conjugação da forma interrogativa do verbo to work (trabalhar; funcionar)

no Simple Present:

Do I work?
Do you work?
Does he work?
Does she work?
Does it work?
Do we work?
Do you work?
Do they work?

Note que o verbo sempre é usado no infinitivo sem o to, mesmo quando se trata da terceira
pessoa do singular (he, she e it).

Veja abaixo a estrutura de formação de frases interrogativas no Simple Present.

Verbo auxiliar + sujeito + verbo principal + complemento +?

Exemplos:
Does he teach Spanish at the university?
Do they prefer Italian food?
Does she watch TV every day?
Do we have classes on Saturdays?
Does it push the door when it wants to get in?
Do you arrive late?

Multiple-choice Exercises
1. English people ............... animals.
A) likes C) doesn’t like
B) like D) don’t likes

2. Your brother ................ tennis very well.

A) play C) plays
B) plaies D) don’t play

3. They ................ the answer.

A) don't know C) knows
B) doesn't know D) doesn’t knows

4. I ............... understand.
A) no C) don't
B) not D) doesn’t

5. Kathy usually ................. in front of the window.

A) sits C) sit
B) sites D) don’t sit

6. What does this word ................?

A) means C) doesn’t mean
B) mean D) meaning

7. Jane ................. tea very often.

A) doesn't drink C) don’t drink
B) drink D) doesn’t drinks

8. Martha ................. in Japan.

A) doesn't lives C) don’t live
B) lives D) live

9. John ................. his room every week.

A) doesn't cleans C) don’t clean
B) cleans D) clean

10. My parents never ................. to bed late.

A) go C) don’t goes
B) goes D) gos