How to use the present simple tense

Hi everyone.

In this video I will explain how to talk about

routines and things that are always true.

In other words, I will teach you all

about the use of present simple.

Are you ready? Let’s do it.

We use the present simple, one, to talk about things that happen regularly.

I always get up at nine. She goes to school every morning.

Two, for a situation that we think is more or less permanent.

I work as an English teacher. I don’t like broccoli.

Three, for general truths and facts. It usually snows in winter.

Two plus two makes four. People need food.

We make the present simple with the subject plus a base verb.

I get up. You work. We need.

When the subject is he, she or it, we add S to the verb.

I always play the guitar. My sister plays golf.

When the verb ends in CH, SH, X, SS or ZZ, we add ES.

I watch TV. She watches TV.

When the verb ends in a consonant plus Y, we change Y to I and then we add ES.

I study English. She studies English.

Have, do, be and go are irregular.

I go to the cinema. She goes to the cinema.

I do my homework. She does her homework.

To find out how to use have and be, watch George’s videos linked in

the description box below.

To make the present simple negative, add the auxiliary don’t for I, we,

they and you and doesn’t for he, she or it.

Listen carefully, there’s no S on the end of the verb.

I don’t play the guitar. My sister doesn’t play golf.

For questions, use the auxiliary do

or does plus the subject plus the base form of the verb.

Remember, there’s no S on the end of the verb and we use a short answer

with yes or no.

Do you study every day? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.

Does she cope very well? Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.

Interrogative sentences can all still start with question words

such as where, what, when, etc.,

and we use an affirmative or negative sentence as the answer.

Where do you study? I study at school.

I don’t study at home because our dogs are really noisy.

That’s the present simple.

Let’s recap with this chart from the Cambridge Dictionary that you can

find together with a summary in the description box below.

Are you ready to do a quiz?

You have to choose the correct option before you run out of time.

Let’s go.

Hope you enjoyed the video and did very, very well in the quiz.

If you did, don’t forget to like the video and to subscribe to the channel.

See you soon. This was Paula. Over and out.