THE PRESENT SIMPLE
Formation
We make the present simple by using the infinitive without to. We add s or es to the verb in the third person singular.
Example: Martin lives in Canada.
I work in a hospital.
Spelling of third person singular forms
Most verbs: work  works
Add s to infinitive sit sits
stay stays
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Verbs ending in consonant + y: cry cries
changes y to i and add - es hurry 
reply replies
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| Verbs ending in s, -z, -ch, - sh -x: miss misses
add es to infinitive buzz buzzes
watch watches
push pushes
fix fixes
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Exceptions: have  has
go goes
do does
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Questions are made by using the auxiliary do / does. The auxiliary is placed before the subject.
Example: Do you enjoy hospital dramas?
Does Carina enjoy hospital dramas?
Negatives in the present simple are formed by putting do not (dont)or does not (doesnt ) before the notional verb.
Example: I dont enjoy hospital dramas.
Carina doesnt enjoy hospital dramas.
| Affirmative I work you work he/she/it works we work you work they work | Questions do I work? do you work? does he/she/it work? do we work? do you work? do they work? | Negative I do not work you do not work he/she/it does not work we do not work you do not work they do not work |
Passive forms
When we say what people and things do, we use active verb forms. We often use passive verb forms when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what performs the action. A phrase with the preposition by introduces the person or thing that does the action. We use with to refer to a tool used by somebody. The present simple passive has the following structure:
| am/is/are + past participle |
Active: They speak English here.
Passive: English is spoken here.
Active: Tom delivers the mail.
Passive: The mail is delivered by Tom.
Active: I chop onions with a sharp knife.
Passive: Onions are chopped with a sharp knife.
Use of the Present Simple
1. We use the present simple to talk about
ü permanent situations;
Martin lives in Canada. .
I work in a hospital. .
ü things that happen on a regular basis (we often use adverbs of frequency such as always, never, occasionally, often, sometimes, usually or expressions of frequency such as on Tuesdays, every day, once a );
Do they often go out to restaurants? ?
She travels to London twice a year. .
ü facts and universal truths;
Americans drink a lot of coffee. .
Water freezes at the temperature of zero degrees Celsius. .
Two and two make four. .
2. We use the present simplein adverbial clauses of time (after conjunctions after, as soon as, before, until, when) and condition that refer to the future (after conjunctions if, providing/provided (that), in case etc).
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Ill phone him when I get home. , .
Well stay at home if it rains. , .
In case Im late, start without me. , .
3. We use the present simple to talk about future events which are timetabled.
What time does the plane arrive in New York? -?
The train for Birmingham departs at seven oclock. .
4. We use the present simple to ask and give directions, instructions (as an alternative to the imperative).
How do I get to Svoboda square? ?
From here you cross the road and turn to the left. .
You wait inside the office until I arrive. , .
5. We use the present simple when you talk about series of actions that are completed as we speak. This happens, for example, in demonstrations and commentaries.
Watch carefully. First I take a bowl and break two eggs into it. Next . , .
France gets the ball from Zidane and scores a goal. dz .
NB
The present continuous is used for longer actions.
Watch my experiment attentively. I take a crushed hexamine fuel tablet, add silver nitrate. Im heating the mixture and we can see silver on the test tube. . , , .
6. We use the present simple in the introductory expression I hear to say that you have been told something.
I hear (that) you are getting married. , .
7. We use the present simple to tell stories about the past. The present simple makes them more exciting and holds peoples attention.
Just imagine. Theres an old woman with thick glasses who is serving drinks. I go up to her and askҳ . Ƴ , .
NB
The main events are usually described in sequence using the present simple and longer background events are described using the present continuous.
8. We use the present simple in summaries of plays, stories.
In Act 1, Hamlet meets the ghost of his father. .
Chapter 5: Sam goes to New York and finds jewelry. 5: - .
9. We use the present simple in suggestions with Why dont you?
Why dont you give me your number, Ill call you. , .
Why dont you ask him for his advice? ?
10. We use the present simple with performative verbs (to accept, to admit, to agree, to apologise, to assure, to congratulate, to declare, to deny, to disagree, to forbid, to forgive, to guarantee, to insist, to invite, to order, to predict, to promise, to pronounce, to recommend, to refuse, to request, to suggest, to swear, to thank, to warn) etc.
Saying I apologise performs the action of apologising etc.
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I suggest that you should come with us. , .
I congratulate you on your birthday. ³ .
I agree entirely with what you have said. , .
I swear to you, I dont know anything. , .
I refuse to compromise my principles. .
I recommend (that) he see a lawyer. , .
11. We use the present simple in newspaper headlines to refer to past events.
Freak snow stops traffic
Exercise 1. Translate into English and comment on the use of the present simple.
1. , . 2. (Graham) . ³ . 3. , (to be supervised) . 4. . 5. , ? 6. . 7. Ctrl+Alt+Del. ? ENTER. 8. . (country road) (completely) . , 9. . 10. , - . 11. . 12. ³ 13. ̳ ³ (Wilson) (regular) . 14. , 㳿, , . 15. (day off)? 16. (Sarah) , ? 17. 18. , , . 19. (courier). 20. ij (to take place) (over a period of 30 years). 21. (committee) . 22. , . 23. ? , . 24. . , , (boiling water). 25. , .
THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Formation
We make the present continuous by using the verb be (am, is, are) and the ing form of the verb.
Example: Hes watching television.
Its raining again.
Rules for the formation of the present participle
| Add -ing to most verbs without changing the spelling of their base forms. | to wait  waiting
to play playing
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| If a verb ends in -e, omit the -e and add - ing. But: ee at the end of the word is not changed. | to come coming
to make making
to see seeing
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| The final consonant after a short, stressed vowel is doubled before - ing. | to begin beginning
to run running
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| With two-syllable verbs, the final consonant is normally doubled when the last syllable is stressed. The letter l as final consonant after a vowel is always doubled before ing. This applies only for British English; in American English there is usually only one l. | to forget forgetting
to prefer preferring
to travel travelling (British English)
to travel traveling (American English)
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| An ie at the end of a word becomes y before ing. | to lie lying
to tie 
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Questions are made by placing be (am, is, are) before the subject.
Example: Is she watering the flowers?
Whats Bob doing?
Negatives are made by adding not after the auxiliary.
Example: She is not (isnt) cleaning her room at the moment.
He isnt watching television.
| Affirmative I am working you are working he/ she/ it is working we are working you are working they are working | Questions am I working? are you working? is he/ she/ it working? are we working? are you working? are they working? | Negative I am not working you are not working he/ she/ it is not working we are not working you are not working they are not working |
Passive forms
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The present continuous passive has the following structure:
| am/is/are + being+ past participle |
Active: My husband is washing the car.
Passive: The car is being washed by my husband.
Active: The police are quizzing four men about the robbery.
Passive: Four men are being quizzed about the robbery by the police.
