THE PRESENT SIMPLE

THE PRESENT SIMPLE

FORM

●Verbs ending in ss,sh,ch,x,o add es:

e.g. kiss-kisses wish-wishes teach-teaches fix-fixes go-goes

●Verbs ending in a consonant + y add es after transforming the y in i :

e.g. fly-flies cry-cries study-studies

●Verbs ending in a vowel + y add s :

e.g. pay-pays stay-stays play-plays

USE

♦ To express "eternal"/"general" truths, or to make statements of general validity:

e.g. Ice melts in the sun.

The sun rises in the East.

To express repeated/habitual/permanent actions. Such actions are usually accompanied by the adverbs: every (day, week, month, year.etc), never, always, occasionally, often, sometimes, usually, twice a week, etc.

e.g. We go to school every morning.(repeated)

Father smokes too much. (habitual)

Jane works in a big factory. (permanent)

In Direct Speech, to introduce quotations:

e.g. Shakespeare says:

"So, till the judgment that yourself arise,

You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes."

In step-by-step instructions or demonstrations:

e.g. First, I take the potatoes and slice them .

In sports commentaries. In this case the Present Simple refers to quicker actions (which are finished before the sentences that described them).The Present Continuous is used for longer activities.

e.g. The goal-keeper passes to Maradona, but Hagi intercepts.

To express an officially planned action or an action belonging to a settled programme:

e.g. The championship starts next Saturday. (will start)

To express a future action:

a)     in a conditional clause:

e.g. If your cousin comes here tomorrow,we'll go to the cinema.

b) in a time clause whose action is simultaneous with another future action:

e.g. Tom will like English grammar when he understands it.

In proverbs/sayings:

e.g. Despair gives courage to a coward.

In exclamatory sentences beginning with here or there :

e.g. Here they come!

There goes the train!

But, if these statements are not exclamatory, the progressive aspect must be used:

e.g. They are coming.

The train is going now.