2.5. The Present Simple Tense

There are sixteen tenses in the English language. All of them add to the beauty of it and nuances of communication. (Compare: In the Ukrainian language there are three tenses: present, past and future.)

Revision 1: Study the table of grammar tenses.

	Simple Tense (простий час)	Continuous (тривалий)	Perfect (здійснений)	Perfect -Continuous
Present (теперішній)	+I often watch TV. ? Do you like it? - No, I don’t.
Past (минулий)
Future (майбутній)
Future in the Past

The first tense you are going to study and practice is the Present Simple Tense.

Revision 2: Study grammar references first then the situations when the present simple tense is used.

Revision 3: Spelling rules in the present simple

In the 3^rd person singular (after he, she, it) add to the verb:

• -s: we stop –he stops; I love - she loves;

• -es (after final –sh, -ch, -ss, -x, -o ): I teach - he teaches, you go – she goes; we do –he does;

• -ies (final consonant + ‘y’): I cry – he cries, we try – she tries.

But: I buy – he buys.

Important! As there are different tenses for present, past and future, TIME EXPRESSIONS help to differentiate one from another.

Time Expressions, which are used with Present Simple:

• always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely / seldom, never (- they are called adverbs of frequency and answer the question ‘How often?’);

• every day, every week, every year etc.;

• on Sundays, on Mondays etc.;

• in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening;

• at night, at the weekend / on week-days.

• on Sundays, on Mondays, etc.

Note: Mind the word order with adverbs of frequency (- Ad.Fr.):

Ad. Fr. are used before a main verb but after an auxiliary verb (be, modal verbs – can, may, must and others, do etc.)

1. Ad.Fr. + main verb (e.g. I usually drink much water. He never lies. We seldom miss lessons. She always gets up early);

2. be / can, etc. + Ad.Fr.(e.g. She is never late. He can always help you. I don’t usually trust him. Does he often go abroad?)

Help:

Person - особа

Singular – однина

Tense – час

Add - додавати

Beauty – краса

Communication - спілкування

Revise / repeat – повторювати

Adverb of frequency – прислівник частоти

Permanent action – постійна дія

Law of nature – закон природи

Well-known –добре відомий

Timetable – розклад

Instead of – замість

Time expression – вираз, який використовується з часом

Main – головний

Match - підібрати до пари

Discription - опис

Practice – Grammar in use

Task 1: Match the present simple tense to the correct description.

1. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west

2. He always goes to work by train.

3. A seminar starts on Tuesday.

4. The bus leaves in ten minutes.

5. He gets on his horse and quickly rides away.

1. timetable

2. repeated action

3. general truth, a law of nature

4. programme

5. narration

Task 2: Put the adverbs in brackets in the correct place.

1. You must brush your teeth twice a day (always).

2. Sam likes cereal for breakfast (seldom).

3. Sharon drinks coffee at night (never).

4. Paul doesn’t eat out on Sundays (usually).

5. Do you go to the cinema at the weekend? (often)

6. Jim is on time for work (never).

Task 3: Put the verbs in brackets into correct forms of the present simple.

1. He ___________ (spend) a lot of money on books.

2. I have a dog. It ______ (eat) a lot of meat.

3. We usually ________ (discuss) films at our English lessons.

4. We __________ (be) glad to meet you so much.

5. The lesson_____________ (finish) at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

6. Jane and Mary _____________ (not/drink) hot tea.

7. Rice _____________ (not/grow) in Britain.

8. I _____________ (not/be) an engineer. I’m a dentist.