The present simple (indefinite) tense

It is formed by means of the infinitive without the particle “to”. In the third person singular the ending “-s” is added: he writes, she reads, it watches, she goes, he does.

The following rules of pronunciation should be observed. It is pronounced as:

1. [s] after voiceless consonants: looks, puts

2. [z] after vowels and voiced consonants: plays, opens

3. [iz] after sibilants -s, -ss, -tch, -ch, -sh: loses

The following spelling rules should be observed in the third person singular.

1. ending “-es”, not “-s” is put after sibilants -s, -ss, -tch, -ch, -sh: washes

2. a final “-y” is changed into “i” if it is preceded by a consonant and then “-es” is added: to study – he studies, to try – she tries.

3. after a vowel “-y” is not changed: to play – she plays, to stay – he stays.

In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb “do / does” is placed before the subject, the notional verb without particle “to” and the ending of the third person singular – s/-es is placed after the subject: Does he work?- Yes, he does. He works.

In the negative form the auxiliary verb “do/does” with the negative particle ‘not’ is placed before the notional verb without the particle “to”: He does not work. They do not work.

The contracted negative forms are: do not = don’t, does not = doesn’t

I don’t work.

He doesn’t work.

They don’t work.

The use of the present simple (indefinite)

1.We use the Present Simple to talk about things in general. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general (seldom, sometimes, occasionally, always, never, ever, every year/week/month/day, usually, once/twice/three times a year, daily, on Sundays, etc.):

She often calls me up.

The Earth goes round the sun.

2.We use it when we speak about the action in the past in the following cases:

a)titles in newspapers: Putin arrives in Germany.

b)with verbs that have several meanings:

I forget his name (= I don’t remember his name)

I hear he’s getting married (= I know he’s getting married)

c)Where do you come from? (= Where are you from?)

3.It is used when the action is going in the time of speaking but the verb is not used in progressive (so-called, stative verbs):

want, like, belong, know, need, love, see, realize, prefer, hate, hear, believe, suppose, remember, understand, seem, smell (пахнуть), sound (звучать), taste (иметь вкус), have (= possess), think (=believe)

I don’t see any problem here.

a)to have: He is having a bath. BUT I have a question now.

b)to think: I’m thinking about his plan. BUT I think his plan is not good.

4.When we make a suggestion, we can say:

I’m tired. – Why don’t you go to bed?

5.The Present Simple may be used to express future actions:

a)the action refers to the future in subordinate clauses of time, condition and concession (with when, while, till/until, before, after, as soon as, once):

Will you wait while I look through the manuscript?

b)the action is certain to take place according to a timetable, programme, schedule, command or arrangement worked out for a person or people officially:

Tomorrow is Saturday.

What time does the train arrive?

c)the action refers to the immediate future in some special questions:

What do we do next? (Что будем сейчас делать?)

Where do we go now? (Куда сейчас пойдем?)

What happens next? (Что сейчас будет?)