Unit 2 the present indefinite tense

Positive	Negative	Interrogative
I work You work He works She works It works We work They work	I do not work You do not work He does not work She does not work It does not work We do not work They do not work	Do I work? Do you work? Does he work? (?) Does she work? Does it work? Do we work? Do they work?
	I don’t work He doesn’t work	N.B! Who works? They work, don’t they?

Grammar Reference

The Present Indefinite Tense is used:

1. To state a fact

   • He works as a judge.

   • We always represent clients in court.

2. To express a fact, which is always true

• The Earth rotates round the sun.

3. To express a future action, which is performed according to a schedule

• Tomorrow at 10 a.M. The Crown Court hears appeals from Magistrates’ courts.

The Present Indefinite tense is used with usually, generally, always, often, seldom, sometimes, every day, every week, as a rule, in the morning (evening, afternoon), once a week,…

Exercise 1

Read and translate the following sentences. Find the predicate; define its person and number.

1. He works in a civil court.

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2. Butler and Evans Associates helps people who decide to take legal action.

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3. What do I need to do in order to start a case?

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4. The firm does not charge clients if it does not win or settle their cases.

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5. When people decide to initiate a lawsuit, they usually call a law firm.

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6. Do your attorneys appeal when the verdict is not in their clients’ favor?

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7. Everyone in the country has the right to due process.

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8. I want to receive damages for my accident.

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9. Do attorneys win cases if they do not have enough proof to support their arguments?

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10. Since Ms Harris has no proof I suggest she settle.

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11. Does the plaintiff want you to pay for half of the damages to his sports car?

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12. In this trial they accuse him of stealing from the bank.

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13. County courts always deal with civil cases.

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14. The legal system also includes juvenile courts and coroners’ courts.

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15. These courts never make quick, cheap, and fair decisions with the least formality.

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