Present simple

uses

Regular and habitual events

We use the present simple to talk about regular or habitual events. We often use always,
often, usually, sometimes, never and other frequency adverbs for regular and habitual
events:

 How do you get to work? Do you get the bus?

 I read every night before I go to sleep.
 We always have a holiday in the summer. We never work in August.
 We usually fly to France when we go. Lorea doesn’t like the ferry.
It makes her feel sick.

Instructions and directions

Stories and commentaries

Immediate reactions

I promise, I swear, I agree (speech act verbs)

Timetables and plans

Present simple after when, before, etc.

Newspaper headlines

the present simple

the tense that is used to refer to events, actions, and conditions that
are happening all the time, or exist now

uses

1. For facts or things that are always true or generally true.

 Whales live in the ocean.

 A dog has four legs.
 It rains a lot in winter.
 Water boils at 100º Celsius.

2. For regular habits or repeated actions

These are often daily routines and they happen always, often, generally, every week, etc.
 I brush my teeth three times a day.
 I read in bed every night.
 He walks to school every day.
 I study for two hours every evening.

common time expressions used with the present simple tense are:

 always, often, generally, normally, usually, sometimes, never …
 every day, every week, every year…

form
We use the base form of the verb, and add -s for the third person singular.

I, you, we, they work.

+
she, he, it works.

− I, you, we, they (full form)do not work.

she, he, it does not
 (short form)
I, you, we, they
don’t
she, he, it
doesn’t

? Do I, you, we, they

work?
+ Does she, he, it

(full form) I, you, we,

Do they not
Does she, he, it
?
work?
−
(short form)
I, you, we, they
Don’t
she, he, it
Doesn’t

spelling
For most verbs we add -s to the base form to make the she, he, it (third person
singular) form:

For other verbs, the spelling changes are:

hen the verb ends in -ch, -ss, -sh, -x or -zz, we add -es. watc watche
 h s

miss misses

wash washes

mix mixes

buzz buzzes

hurry hurries

When the verb ends in a consonant + -y we change y to i and

study studies
add -es.

reply replies

pay pays
But when the verb ends in a vowel + -y we just add -s.
enjoy enjoys

have has

go goes
Have, go, do and be are irregular.
do does

be is
When the verb ends in -s or -z we double the -s or -z and add -es,
e.g. quiz, quizzes. These verbs are not common.