Simple time in English - best way tell the interlocutor about our habits and preferences, about what we know how to do or do every day. This is one of the most common tenses in everyday speech, so it is important to understand and study it from the very beginning.
Today we’ll talk about what Present Simple Tense is, common uses, learn the basic rules for forming Present Simple, what time markers exist, and look at example sentences.
What is Present Simple?
This is the simple present tense, denoting action in the broadest sense of the word. One of the most common and simple forms in English for describing actions.
Actions can be related to habits, a hobby, a daily event like getting up in the morning, or something that happens regularly.
How is the Present Simple formed?
There is nothing easier than putting the verb in the Present Simple form. To do this, you need to remove the particle “to” from the verb in the infinitive and put the verb after the subject. This is the main thing Present rule Simple.
Statement:
I / We / You / They + V
She / He / It + V + s (es)
I go to work every day- I go to work every day.
They usually play tennis every weekend- They usually play tennis every weekend.
She brings me coffee every morning- She brings me coffee every morning.
It snows in winter- It snows in winter.
IMPORTANT: In the Present Simple, the form of the verb almost always coincides with the original one. The exception is a third party singular(he / she / it) - the ending -s is added to it:
I ride - She rides
I dream - He dreams
If the verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o, then the ending is added to it -es
I wish - She wishes
I teach - She teaches
If the verb ends in -y, and it is preceded by a consonant, then the ending is added to it -es, but -y is replaced by -i
I try - She tries
I fly - He flies
If the verb ends in -y, and it is preceded by a vowel, then the ending is also added to it -es, But -y doesn't change.
I play - She plays
I stay - He stays
Negation:
To make a negative sentence, you need to put an auxiliary verb between the subject and the verb.
I / We / You / They + do not (don’t) + V
She / He / It + does not (doesn’t) + V
I don't go to school every day- I don't go to school every day
They don't drink beer- They don't drink beer
She doesn't like the weather in London- She doesn't like the weather in London
He doesn't drive the car- He doesn't drive a car
Negation can also be expressed using negative pronouns and adverbs.
Nobody speaks Arabic- Nobody speaks Arabic
I do nothing- I don't do anything
Question:
When composing interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject and the following verb. Usually - at the beginning of a sentence.
Do I / We / You / They + V
Does She / He / It + does not (doesn’t) + V
Do you like pizza?- Do you like pizza?
Do they play football?- Do they play football?
Does she learn Russian?- Is she studying Russian?
Does he live in Spain?- Does he live in Spain?
Sometimes used in interrogative sentences question words(question words) and
phrases that help you ask a more accurate and correct question to your interlocutor.
These words include: how long(How long), why(Why), where(where) and others. As in other tenses, they are placed at the very beginning of the sentence before the interrogative construction of the Present Simple.
QW + do (does) + I / We / You / They / She / He / It + V
Where does he live in Prague?- Where does he live in Prague? Why do you drink green tea?- Why do you drink green tea?
When an auxiliary verb appears in a sentence with the Present Simple, the ending disappears from the main verb -s. Consider that this is a kind of “magnet” that “pulls” this ending to itself. This applies to the negative and interrogative forms of the Present Simple.
IMPORTANT: sometimes the auxiliary verb do / does can be found in affirmative sentences to add expression and brightness to the statement.
I do want to try this- I really want to try this
Mary does know how to cook-Mary really knows how to cook
The verb to be in the Present Simple
The verb to be is always special and its use in the Present Simple tense depends on the subject. It has 3 different forms:
- am (for 1st person singular: I)
- is (for 3rd person singular: she / he / it)
- are (for 1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural: we / you / they)
I am ready- I'm ready
She is ready- She's ready
We are ready- We're ready
When is the Present Simple used?
Present Simple is used to describe actions that occur constantly, on a regular basis, but are not tied to the moment of speech.
The use of the Present Simple is appropriate in cases where we want to talk about our daily routine, reliably known facts, actions in the broad sense of the word, or train schedules.
Regular, repetitive actions:
I often go to the bar- I often go to the bar
They play music every Sunday- They play music every Sunday
Action in the broad sense of the word (without reference to the moment of speech):
I live in Dublin- I live in Dublin.
She speaks Chinese- She speaks Chinese.
Facts that everyone knows:
The Earth rotates around its axis- The earth rotates around its axis.
Moscow is the largest city in Russia- Moscow is the largest city in Russia
Future actions that will occur according to the schedule:
The airplane takes off at 4.30 am- The plane will take off at 4.30 am.
The train leaves at 9 pm tomorrow- The train leaves tomorrow at 9 pm.
Recipes and instructions (used instead of the imperative):
You push the red button to turn on the radio- Click on the red button to turn on the radio
First you turn left and then you go down the street- First turn left, then go to the end of the street
When listing some actions and their specific sequence, the Present Perfect tense is also used
You take the bus into the city center and then you take a taxi to the restaurant- You take a bus to the city center and then take a taxi to the restaurant.
Sometimes the Present Simple is used to refer to the past tense. For example, in newspaper headlines (indicating that an action has taken place) or in a story about an event (when we talk about someone and their actions).
The bus with American tourists crashes in India- A bus carrying American tourists crashed in India
I met John last week. He comes to me and say: “Hello, old friend”- Last week I met John. He came up to me and said, "Hello, old friend"
Present Simple tense markers
In order to better navigate where and when Present Simple verbs are used, pay attention to special markers in the text.
Such “beacons” for the Present Simple are adverbs ( often, always, usually, etc.) and time indicators ( every day, in the morning, on Fridays, etc.).
She always drinks coffee in the morning- She always drinks coffee in the morning
I usually wake up at 6 am- I usually wake up at 6 am
They often talk about sport- They often talk about sports
I check my smartphone every 15 minutes- I check my phone every 15 minutes
He takes a shower twice a day- He showers twice a day
On Mondays we go to the central park- On Mondays we go to central park
He comes here sometimes- Sometimes he comes here
Examples of sentences with Present Simple:
Affirmative sentences:
I read a book every evening - I read a book every evening
He likes to be polite - He likes to be polite
It takes two hours to fly from Berlin - The flight from Berlin will take two hours
Cats like milk - Cats love milk
Negative Suggestions:
I don’t buy food in the supermarket - I don’t buy food in the supermarket
He doesn’t play piano very well - He doesn’t play the piano very well
They don’t read books - They don’t read books
Duck don’t eat fish - Ducks don’t eat fish
Interrogative sentences:
Do you live in Paris? - Do you live in Paris?
Does she play in a band? - Does she play in a band?
Do you eat fish? - Do you eat fish?
Do they like coffee? - Do they like coffee?
It's time to get acquainted with another present tense of the English language - The Present Indefinite (Present Simple) Tense, which in Russian sounds like “Present Indefinite Tense” or Present Simple Tense.
What does The Present Indefinite Tense mean?
The Present Indefinite Tense - We usually use the Present Indefinite Tense to convey ordinary, regular, habitual or constant actions, for example, to describe daily actions, habitual activities, constant work, study, etc., but we do not indicate the exact time of the action. For example:
- I work at an office – I work in the office (permanent action)
- My work begins at 9 o’clock – my work begins at 9 o’clock (regular action)
- I usually go by foot, but sometimes I take a bus - I usually walk, but sometimes I take the bus (occasionally repeated action)
- Every weekend I meet my friends - every weekend I meet with friends (regular action)
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To convey the regular nature of an action, we often use adverbs with verbs in the Present Indefinite, for example, always - always, often - often, rarely - rarely, usually - usually, never - never, sometimes - sometimes, as well as phrases every day/week/ month - every day/week/month. Analyze the use of adverbs in the following sentences. Please note that usually an adverb takes place between the subject and the predicate. circumstance of time every day/week/month can come at the beginning or end of a sentence.
- I rarely visit my grandfather - I rarely visit my grandfather
- We sometimes go to the country - we sometimes go to the village
- Children go to school every day – children go to school every day
How The Present Simple Tense is Formed
Let's move on to the formation of forms and, accordingly, to the conjugation of verbs in the Present Indefinite Tense. As you may know, the infinitive form of English verbs is used with particle to– to come, to work, to live. When conjugating in the present indefinite tense, we discard the particle to and thus we get the form of the verb is the same for everyone, with the exception of the 3rd person singular. In this case, the ending –s(-es) is added to the verb.
To form the interrogative and negative forms of a sentence in the present indefinite tense, we must use the auxiliary verb “ do» for all persons except third persons singular (he, she, it), to whom the auxiliary applies. verb " does", i.e. We add the ending “-s(-es)” not to the predicate verb, but to the auxiliary verb “do”.
Let's look together at the following conjugation table for the verb to learn in the Present Indefinite Tense in affirmative, interrogative and negative sentences. 
*Don’t is a shortened form of do not, often used in speech, and Doesn’t is a shortened form of does not.
All interrogative sentences in English in the Present Undefined Tense must necessarily contain the auxiliary verb Do, Does. The only exceptions are questions to the subject, usually beginning with the question word Who.
Let's now move on to practice and try together to translate sentences into the present time. It must be noted here that the word order of affirmative and interrogative sentences in English must be strictly followed, which is as follows:
Affirmative sentence:
Let’s start with the simple sentence “I work in the office” and, following the scheme, begin the translation of the subject - I - I, the predicate - I work - work, the second members - in the office - at the office - as a result of the sentence it looks like this - Iworkattheoffice. The next sentence is “we often go south in the summer.” The subject here is we - we, the predicate - we go - go, the second members: first we translate the adverb of place to the south - to the south, then the adverb of time - in summer - in summer, the sentence contains the adverb often - often and its place before the predicate. Weoftengotothesouthinsummer.
Now consider an example with the interrogative sentence “where do you work?” and again, following the scheme for translating interrogative sentences, we put the question word where in first place - where, then the auxiliary verb do, because it is precisely this that corresponds to the subject according to the conjugation table, the subject you -you and the predicate - work -work, as a result we get a complete sentence - where do you work? If the question does not contain an interrogative word, we begin the translation according to the scheme with an auxiliary verb. Pay attention to the subject question, when an auxiliary verb is not required, but the ending –s/es is added to the predicate. Who works here? – who works here?
Imperative mood in English
The imperative mood is used to express an order, request, command, for example, stand up! Sit down! Open the book! Close the door! Help! Don't read! Don't talk! Don't shout! To translate the affirmative form, we use the form of the verb without the particle to – Stand up! Sit down! Open the book! Close the door! Help! And for the negative form, we put the verb Do+not – Do not read! Don't speak! Don't shout!
So that you can qualitatively understand when it is better and more correct to use the Present Indefinite Tense, we will further compare it with the use of other tenses of English grammar.
Present Simple Tense or Simple Present Tense, despite the ease of formation, often causes difficulties for those who learn English. Why? An article describing times, use cases and exceptions will help you find out.
Statement
How is the Present Simple formed in English? Using endings:
- -s, if the word ends with a consonant, for example, to work-works – work-works;
- -es, if the word ends in s, sh, ch, x, zz or o, for example, to wash-washes - wash-washes, to pass-passes - pass - passes, to go-goes - walk - walks.
- -ies, if the word ends in y, for example, to fly – flies – to fly – flies.
This form is used in the 3rd person singular, and in the rest the verb remains unchanged. Let's look at examples with the verb to write.
I write - I am writing; You write - You write;
He writes - He writes;
She writes - She writes;
It writes -He (she, it) writes;
We write - We write;
They write - They write.
Present Simple Tense is used when speaking:
- about repetitive actions– James goes to work every morning – James goes to work every day. (This means that James gets ready and goes to work every morning, and is not on the road at the time of conversation).
- about generally known facts– The Sun rises at the East. – The sun rises in the east. (This means that the sun always rises in the east, it was, is and will be and this is known to all people).
- about skills, habits and preferences– Alice speaks Spanish. (Alice speaks Spanish, that is, she knows Spanish and can speak it, but does not speak it at the moment)
- about the daily routine or schedule– The train comes at 8 p.m. – The train arrives at 6 o’clock according to schedule. (This means it always happens)
- about events that happened recently– Man rescues child. – The man saved the child (Even though the event happened in the past, it is written in the present tense to show its relevance).
- about actions planned for the near future– We fly to England next week. – We are flying to England next week. (This means that the trip is not only planned, but tickets have also been purchased).
- about instructions, directions, or sequential actions that occurred one after another– First read a question, think over your answer and write it. – First read the question, think about the answer and write it. (Actions must be performed sequentially).
- every hour/ day/ week/ month/ season/ year – every hour/ day/ week/ month/ season/ year;
- once a day/ twice a week/ three times a month – once a day/ twice a week/ three times a month;
- usually - usually;
- sometime - sometimes;
- always – always;
- now and then – from time to time;
- from time to time – from time to time;
- as a rule – as a rule;
- regularly - regularly;
- generally - in general;
- never - never;
- rarely - sometimes;
Adverbs characteristic of repeated actions will help you distinguish Present Simple Tense from other tenses:
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Negation
An auxiliary verb is used to form a negative form do or does and negative particle not. Does is used in the 3rd person singular, and do is used with other persons and numbers. The auxiliary verb is also called a helping verb, since without it it is impossible to form interrogative and negative forms. The helping verb has no analogue in Russian. For example:
İ don’t write - I don’t write
You don’t write - You don’t write
He doesn’t write - He doesn’t write
She doesn’t write - She doesn’t write
İt doesn’t write – He (she/it) does not write
We don’t write - We don’t write
They don’t write - They don’t write
It is also possible to use don't or does not as, for example, in the sentences:
You do not work at the office - You do not work in the office.
She does not play with her toys. – She doesn’t play with her toys.
There are no double negatives in English. For example, if in Russian you can say: “I never drink coffee,” then in English it would be a mistake to use both the particle “not” and the adverb “never” in one sentence. Therefore, this sentence can be translated in two ways - I don’t drink coffee and I never drink coffee, but in no case can you say I never don’t drink coffee.
The interrogative form of the Present Simple is formed using do And does.
Do I write? - Am I writing?
Do you write? -Are you writing?
Does he write? – Is he writing?
Does he write? – Is he writing?
Does it write? – Is he (she/it) writing?
Do we write? - Are we writing?
Do they write? -Are they writing?
In both cases, the endings -s and -es from the end of the verb become does.
If a sentence begins with a question word (Where/Why/When/Which, etc.), then the auxiliary verb do/does is used after it.
Why do you always help him? He doesn't appreciate it. - Why do you always help him? He doesn't appreciate it.
Where do your parents work? – Where do your parents work?
Which of these dresses does she want to buy? – Which of these dresses does she want to buy?
When does he usually go to work? – When does he usually go to work?
As with any rule, there are exceptions in the formation of Present Simple Tense.
Per verb to be This form is not distributed and it has its own form of education.
| Statement | Negation | Question |
| I am a student. - I am a student. You are a student - You are a student. He is a student. - He is a student. She is a student. - She is a student. It is a student. We are students. - We are students. They are students. - They are students. |
I am not a student. - I'm not a student You are not a student (s) - You (you) are not students He is not a student. - He is not a student She is not a student. She's not a student. It is a student. We are not students. - We are not students. They are not a students. - They are not students. |
Am I a student? - Am I a student? Are you a student? – Are you (are you) a student? Is he a student? - Is he a student? Is she a student? – Is she a student? Is it a student? – Is he (she/it) a student? Are we students? – Are we students? Are they students? -Are they students? |
If an interrogative sentence begins with the word Who, then the auxiliary verb do/does is not used, and the form of the main verb is used with the ending – s/-es/ -ies.
Who works with Peter? – Alice works. – Who works with Peter? – Alice is working. Who wants to drink some orange juice? - We want. – Who wants orange juice? - We want to.
What have we learned?
The rules and examples discussed in the article helped to learn how to construct the Present Simple. The affirmative form is formed using the endings -s, -es, -ies. The interrogative form is formed using the helping verbs do and does, which are placed at the beginning of the sentence. Negative form is constructed using the auxiliary verb do not (don’t) and does not (does’t). To distinguish this time from others, adverbs of time will help, which you need to learn by heart. But the verb to be has its own form of formation.
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Let's start a series of articles about the tenses of the English language with the simplest tense - Present Simple, present simple. Indeed, there should be no difficulties either with the construction of this time or with its use.
In some textbooks, you can see the name Present Indefinite. Don't be alarmed - this is absolutely the same as the Present Simple. Indefinite means indefinite, that is, without any features that need to be conveyed about the action in a sentence.
Let's start with how the Present Simple is formed. Here, from the very beginning, a small difficulty awaits you - the Present Simple tense looks different for the verb to be (to be) and for all other verbs. Why is the verb “to be” given such honor – because it is the most common verb in the English language and therefore many things will happen with it, unlike everyone else, in a special way. But for now let's start with everyone else.
Present Simple for all verbs except the verb to be
Present Simple is a really simple tense, not only by the standards of the English language, but also by the standards of other languages.
However, in order to appreciate how simple everything is in the English language, let’s take a step back and remember from school what verb conjugation is. If in simple words- these are different forms for different characters. For example, I I'm watching, You look, He looks, We look, You look, They are watching. It turns out that in Russian there are 6 different forms for each verb. In Italian, Spanish and French– also in 6 different forms. The German language is a little simpler - 4 forms. Now, pay attention - there are only 2 different forms in English!
So, for all persons and numbers except he/she/it (that is, for I, you, we, you and they) we take the form that is in the dictionary - see (I see, you see, we see, you see, they see), and for he/she/it we add -s (or –es): sees (sees). That's all - there are only two forms and they are formed simply in an elementary way. Isn't it much simpler than Russian?
I see dead people. I see dead people. (Movie “The Sixth Sense”)
Moscow never sleeps. Moscow never sleeps. (An extremely catchy musical composition that, I hope, will not let you forget about the –s in the third person singular)
Present Simple for the verb to be
Now there is a small fly in the ointment in this idyll. There is one verb that in the Present Simple becomes completely different from its original form - this is the verb to be, to be.
Surely you remember from school how you memorized I – am, you – are, he/she/it – is, we – are, you – are, they – are. This is the verb to be in the Present Simple. If you still don’t know these forms, then be sure to learn them. If there are things you can’t do without, and this is just one of them. However, am, are and is will appear in every second sentence - and it will be simply impossible not to remember them.
By the way, different options There are only 3 conjugations for the verb to be: am, are, is. It’s still twice as simple to conjugate Russian verbs. Ironically, in Russian, on the contrary, the verb “is” in the present tense will remain in its previous form: “there is”, no matter how you conjugate it.
Another note: the verb to be is very often used in the form of abbreviated forms, when it merges with a noun into one word: I am = I’m, you are = you’re, he is = he’s. There is no difference between them, it’s just easier and faster to pronounce them.
This is a table. This –
table. (The phrase is the apotheosis of school English).
You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful, it's true. You are beautiful, you are beautiful, you are beautiful and it's true. (James Blunt, song “You’re beautiful”).
I'm the king of the world. I am the king of the world (Movie "Titanic").
When to use the Present Simple
The use of tenses in English is a complex, multifaceted topic, and, of course, the use of the Present Simple is not limited to these five cases. However, these five cases are quite suitable for a first idea of when and how the Present Simple is used.
1. General facts
The Present Simple should be used for general facts about life that are always true. Whether these are facts from physics and mathematics known to all mankind, or facts from personal experience that no one knows except you - the Present Simple is suitable for everyone.
Ice melts at 0 degrees. Ice melts at 0 degrees.
London is the capital of Great Britain. London is the capital of Great Britain. (Another greeting from the Soviet school).
My name is Pasha, I’m from Russia. My name is Pasha, I'm from Russia.
2. Things and phenomena that are more or less permanent
Here you can take a lesson on the topic: Present simple tense in English. Other verbs. Present Simple Tense. Other verbs.
In this lesson we will look at the simplest, at the same time basic tense in the English language - Present Simple, which is already a little familiar to us from the use of the verb to be. It is believed that the Present Simple tense is most similar to the usual present tense in Russian, and is used to indicate habitual actions And indisputable facts.
Besides the verb to be, there are over 200 other verbs in the English language that can also be used in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences. Each proposal form has its own general rules, along with some pitfalls.
1. Yes, affirmative sentences in the Present Simple, with rare exceptions, they have a fixed word order: subject-predicate-object-adverbial. For example:
He reads newspapers every day. - He reads newspapers every day.
It follows from this that the verb in affirmative sentences is always placed after a noun. In the simple present tense, the verb does not change according to gender or number, as in some other languages, but it changes according to persons. To the verb in 3rd person singular the ending -s or -es is added. Let's look at these changes using the verb "walk" as an example:
I walk - I'm taking a walk
you walk - you are walking / You are walking
he walks - he is walking
she walks - she is walking
it walks - he/she (inanimate or animal) is walking
we walk - we are walking
they walk - they are walking
The ending -es is added only if verbs end in -s, -x, -ch, -sh, -o, and is pronounced /iz/ in most words. For example:
kiss - kisses /"kisiz/ (kiss)
relax - relaxes /ri"læksiz/ (relax, rest)
watch - watches /"wɔtʃiz/ (watch)
wash - washes /"wɔʃiz/ (to wash, wash)
go - goes /"gouz/ (go, walk)
A special exception is the verb have. In the 3rd person singular, it changes to has /hæz/:
I have a younger sister. - I have a younger sister.
He has a new bicycle. - He has a new bike.
There are also cases where the verb ends in -y, then when adding the letter -s to a 3rd person singular verb, the ending becomes -ies. For example: carry - carries (carry), fly- flies (fly), study - studies (teach), tidy - tidies (clean), cry - cries (cry), etc.
The boy carries a heavy bag. - The boy is carrying a heavy bag.
Mary studies at high school. - Mary is in high school.
Exceptions: play - plays (play), enjoy - enjoys (enjoy), buy - buys (buy), say - says (say), stay - stays (stop), pay-pays (pay).
Let's look at a few more examples of affirmative sentences in the Present Simple with various verbs:
I like chocolate. - I like chocolate.
You go to English classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. - You go to English classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Mike goes to the gym every day. - Mike goes to the gym every day.
Leila watches TV in the evening. - Leila we watch TV in the evening.
The cheetah runs faster than any other animal. - The cheetah runs faster than any other animal.
We always wash our hands before supper. - We always wash our hands before dinner.
I have two brothers and she has two sisters. -
Ann studies in the evenings. - Anna studies in the evenings.
He always buys presents for his little daughter. - He always buys gifts for his little daughter.
IN English sentences In the simple present tense, words such as always (always), usually (usually), often(often), sometimes (sometimes), hardly ever (extremely rarely, almost never), never (ever), rarely (rarely). These are adverbs of frequency, indicating that the actions are everyday, ordinary, routine. If the verb in the sentence is to be, then these adverbs come immediately after it, and if these are any other verbs, then before them. Let's look at an example:
She is often late. - She is often late.
They always buy goods in this store. - They always buy goods in this store.
I"m hardly ever at home. - I’m almost never at home.
It rarely rains here. - It rarely rains here.
We hardly ever see each other. - We hardly see each other.
There are also other expressions that indicate that the actions are habitual. For example: every day, every week, every month, once a day, twice a week, three times a month ), four times a year (four times a year), in the evenings (in the evenings), on Fridays (on Fridays), etc. All these "temporary" expressions show that the actions are ordinary and part of the daily routine. Almost all of the above words are placed at the end of the sentence. The expression "every day" can also be used at the beginning of a sentence. Let's look at examples:
John takes his dog for a walk twice a day. - John walks his dog twice a day.
That woman comes to the shop every day. - That woman comes to the store every day.
I watch TV in the evenings. - I watch TV in the evenings.
She visits her relatives every weekend. - She visits her relatives every weekend.
Ed does sport on Mondays and Wednesdays. - Ed goes in for sports on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Every day I go for a walk in the park. - Every day I go for a walk in the park.
2. Negative sentences in the present simple tense are constructed using the particle "not". However, unlike the verb to be, all other verbs need the help of an auxiliary verb do or does.
Thus, the particle “not” merges with auxiliary verbs, and this is what we get: do not = don"t, does not = doesn"t. The abbreviated form is most often used. The words don"t and doesn"t in a sentence are usually placed before the verb. Let's look at examples:
We don't watch TV much. - We don't really watch TV.
I don"t like meat. - I don’t like meat.
The choice between the auxiliary verbs don"t or doesn"t depends on the person. Namely, the auxiliary verb doesn"t is used only with 3rd person singular. For example:
He doesn't want to join the army. - He doesn't want to join the army.
She doesn't get up early. - She doesn't get up early.
It doesn't matter. - It doesn't matter.
As can be seen from the examples, the negative word doesn't takes away the ending of the 3rd person singular -s. For clarity, here are a few more examples:
Lewis doesn't go to school. - Lewis doesn't go to school.
She doesn't live here anymore. - She doesn't live here anymore.
My dog doesn't like cats. - My dog doesn't like cats.
Jim doesn't find this film interesting. - Jim doesn't find this film interesting.
"Temporary" words or adverbs of frequency can also be used with the negations don"t and doesn"t. Everything except the words never, rarely and hardly ever, since they already carry a negative meaning, and in English sentences there can only be one negation. Let's look at some examples:
He doesn't eat fish at all. = He never eats fish. - He not at all / never eats fish.
He doesn't never eat fish. (would be wrong)
It doesn"t rain much here. = It hardly ever rains here. - Here almost never / extremely rarely It's raining.
It doesn't hardly ever rain here. (would be wrong)
We don"t travel much. = We rarely travel. - We not very often / rarely we travel.
We don"t rarely travel. (would be wrong).
3. Interrogative sentences in the present simple tense are also formed using the auxiliary verbs do and does, except when the main verb in the sentence is to be. Let's compare with an example:
Are you from Wales? -Are you from Wales?
Do you come from Wales? -Are you from Wales?
As can be seen from the examples, the auxiliary verb do, just like the verb to be in questions, is placed before a noun. If the noun in 3rd person singular, to construct a question, the auxiliary verb does is used, while the ending -s in the verb itself is lost. Let's look at examples:
Does he like ham? - Does he like ham?
Does she read a lot? - Does she read a lot?
Does it hurt? - Doesn't it hurt?
Does Theo drink tea or coffee? - Does Theo drink tea or coffee?
Many people wonder what to do when the main verb in a sentence is already do, and whether it is possible to use 2 words do in a sentence at once. Surprisingly, it is possible. For example:
Do you do your homework in the afternoon or in the evening? -You do homework during the day or evening?
Does he do any sports? - Does he play any sports?
The above questions are general and require short answers: yes or no. And, as you know, short answers in English take into account the auxiliary verb used in the question and the subject. For example:
Do you speak French? -Yes, I do ./ -No, I don't. - Do you speak French? -Yes./ -No.
Does he do martial art? -Yes, he does ./ -No, he doesn't. - Does he practice martial arts? -Yes./ -No.
In Present Simple tense you can also specify special questions, starting with question words: who (who?), what (what?), when (when?), where (where? Where?), which (which?), why (why?), whom (whom?), whose (whose?), how many/ how much (how much?); and demanding specific answers. In such questions, these question words come before the auxiliary verbs and the noun. Let's look at some examples:
What does he do? -He works as a bank manager. - What does he do? -He works as a manager in a bank.
Where does she work? -She works in an office. - Where does she work? -She works in an office.
When do you get up? -I get up at 6.30 every day. - When do you wake up? -I wake up at 6.30 every day.
Which food do you like? -I like pizza and sushi. - What food do you like? -I love pizza and sushi.
Who do you take after more? -I take after my father. -Who are you more like? -I look like my father.
How many days do you work a week? -I work 5 days a week. - How many days a week do you work? -I work 5 days a week.
Please also pay attention to the complete answers to special questions. These are ordinary affirmative sentences with various verbs that change according to person.
In English proverbs and sayings, the Present Simple tense is the most popular. Here are some examples folk wisdom:
A new broom sweeps clean. - The new broom sweeps in a new way.
Oil and water don’t mix. - They don’t mix water and oil./ The goose is not a friend to the pig.
It never rains but it pours. - Rain never comes drop by drop, but comes in torrents./ Trouble does not come alone.
Little pitchers have big ears. - Small jugs have big ears./ Curious Varvara’s nose was torn off at the market.
Still waters run deep. - Still waters flow deep./ In still waters there are devils.
Practice makes perfect. - Practice is the path to perfection./ Repetition is the mother of learning.
Pride comes before a fall. - Pride comes before a fall./ Pride does not lead to good.
Opportunity knocks only once. - Opportunity knocks on doors only once./Once in a lifetime, everyone gets a lucky chance.
