EVOLVE Educational Vocational Objective Learning of Vernacular English

Present Simple

                                    I/you/we/they/you           do                    (walk, run, eat)
           
                                    he/she/it                        does                 (walks, runs, eats)        

 

The present simple is used for four main reasons:

 

1. When we talk about something at this precise moment

“I am hot” “It is sunny” “You look pale”

                                                        *
Past---------------------------------------Now-------------------------------------Future

This use of the present simple is usually used in the ‘subject – verb – compliment’ construction where the verb is followed by and adjective.

 

2. When we talk about a general truth-

“She is tall” “I am from Cardiff” “I like music”

                                      *****************************
Past---------------------------------------Now-------------------------------------Future

 

3. When we talk about a repeated action

“He plays tennis every Wednesday” “We go to Italy every year”

            *           *           *           *           *           *           *           *
Past---------------------------------------Now-------------------------------------Future

 

4. When we talk about a timetabled event in the future-

“My plane leaves on the 27th of next month” “The president arrives on Saturday”

                                                                                    *
Past---------------------------------------Now-------------------------------------Future

 

Task 1
Decide which use of the present simple (1, 2, 3 or 4) is being used in the following examples.

1. Adrianna is from South America.
2. I feel ill.
3. We bank the money on Tuesdays.
4. The post arrives at 8.30 every day.
5. Brant plays guitar very well.
6. Terry comes to see us at every concert.
7. That car is very fast.
8. The nurse checks her progress every morning.
9. We move house on the 3rd.
10. Violence is wrong.
11. The embassy is in the city centre.
12. The embassy is closed.
13. The embassy opens at 10 in the morning on Saturdays.
14. The ambassador arrives at 11 on Thursday the twelfth.
15. They look worried.
16. We are ready to go!

 

Present Simple Questions

Closed Questions
A closed question always has the answers ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Many closed questions in the present simple begin with ‘do’.

We use ‘does’ in the third person and we don’t change the main verb.

 

You like chocolate

becomes

Do you like chocolate?

 

She reads every night

becomes

Does she read every night?

 

We know the answer

becomes

Do we know the answer?

When a statement uses ‘be’, we replace ‘do’ with am, are or is.

I am tired

becomes

Am I tired?

 

You are hungry

becomes

Are you hungry?

 

He is tall

becomes

Is he tall?

Notice that the words ‘do’ and ‘be’ come before the subject when we form questions. It denotes the start of an interrogative sentence as a question mark denotes the end.

 

Task 2
Change these statements into closed questions.

1. It is cold today.
2. You are tall.
3. You play football on Sundays.
4. Mr. Gomez eats too much.
5. They come here every time we meet.
6. It is important to use an interpreter.
7. We work in an office.
8. Charles and Betty are brother and sister.
9. It is a lovely day.
10. It works well.
11. I am ready.
12. She sends me letters every month.
13. We need food.
14. The king is dead!
15. He lets me use his car.
16. They have breakfast every morning.

 

Open Questions
These questions usually have a longer answer and are sometimes called ‘wh-‘ questions because of the words that start them – “The five w’s and an h”.

What…?           – used to ask about things.
When…?           – used to ask about times.
Who…?            – used to ask about people.
Where…?          – used to ask about places.
Why…?            – used to ask about reasons.
How…?             – used to ask about methods.

‘How’ can be used with adjectives to ask for more specific detail

                                    How far…?
                                    How tall…?
                                    How heavy…?
                                    How cold…?
                                    How thin…?

These words can be placed before closed questions to ask for a more detailed reply.

Does she read at night?

becomes

Where does she read at night?

 

Do you like chocolate?

becomes

How much do you like chocolate?

 

Are you hungry?

becomes

Why are you hungry?

Task 3
Change the closed questions in task 2 to open questions.

Negatives
Negatives can be formed by putting ‘do not’ or ‘does not’ between the subject and the main verb. In the third person we must remove the ‘s’ from the end of the main verb.

I like football

becomes

I do not like football

 

He works hard

becomes

He doesn’t work hard

 

They eat too much

becomes

They don’t eat too much

 

Here we have a choice of using ‘do not’ or the contracted form ‘don’t’. In the third person ‘does not’ becomes ‘doesn’t’.

When a statement uses ‘be’, we simply add not to the main verb – am not, are not or is not.

I am tired

becomes

I am not tired

 

You are hungry

becomes

You are not hungry?

 

He is tall

becomes

He is not tall?

Here we have a choice of using ‘I am not’ or ‘I’m not’, ‘are not’ or ‘aren’t’ and ‘is not’ or ‘isn’t’.

Task 4
Put these sentences into their negative forms

1. It is cold today.
2. You are tall.
3. You play football on Sundays.
4. Mr. Gomez eats too much.
5. They come here every time we meet.
6. It is important to use an interpreter.
7. We work in an office.
8. Charles and Betty are brother and sister.
9. It is a lovely day.
10. It works well.
11. I am ready.
12. She sends me letters every month.
13. We need food.
14. The king is dead!
15. He lets me use his car.
16. They have breakfast every morning.

 

 

 

 Answers
Task 1

1. It is not cold today.
2. You are not tall.
3. You don’t play football on Sundays.
4. Mr. Gomez doesn’t eat too much.
5. They don’t come here every time we meet.
6. It is not important to use an interpreter.
7. We don’t work in an office.
8. Charles and Betty are not brother and sister.
9. It is not a lovely day.
10. It doesn’t work well.
11. I am not ready.
12. She doesn’t send me letters every month.
13. We don’t need food.
14. The king is not dead!
15. He doesn’t let me use his car.
16. They don’t have breakfast every morning