PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

(refer to Upstream St. Bk. Page 134)

This tense is formed by using the infinitive (eg. Work/ sit/ eat etc) and adding
s/es to the 3rd person singular (he/she/it)
Examples:
You speak English.
Do you play the piano?
You do not answer back your teacher.

USE 1- Repeated Actions/ Routines

We use the Present Simple to express an action that is repeated or usual. The
action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that
often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not
do.
Examples:
I play tennis.
She does not play a musical instrument.
Do they play tennis?
I leave for school every morning at 6.30 am.
The plane does not leave at 9 am.
When does the train usually leave?
She always forgets her purse.
He never forgets his wallet.
Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
Does the Sun circle the Earth?

M. Micallef
Form 1
Grammar

USE 2- Facts or Generalisations

The Present Simple can also be used to talk about facts that the speaker believes
were true before, are true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important
whether the speaker is correct or not about the fact.
Examples:
Christmas day falls on December 25th.
Birds do not like milk.
Does ice melt in the sun?
California is in America, not in the United Kingdom.
Windows are made of glass.
Windows are not made of wood.
New York is a small city. IT IS NOT IMPORTANT THAT THIS FACT IS UNTRUE.

USE 3- Scheduled Events in the Near Future

We can also use the Present Simple to talk about scheduled events in the near
future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transport, but it can
be used with other events that follow a time table as well, such as Half-Yearly or
Annual exams.
Examples:
The train leaves tonight at 6pm.
The bus does not arrive at 11 am, it arrives at 11 pm.
When do we board the plane?

The Annual exams start in mid-June.

The party starts at 8 o'clock.

When does school start tomorrow?

M. Micallef
Form 1
Grammar