Present Simple

I. Functions:

Present Simple can be used to:

• Describe a habit or a repeated action:

My brother goes swimming every morning.

He watches news on TV in the evening.

We usually do a lot of homework after school.

• · Talk about jobs or hobbies in the present:

Mr John works for an advertising agency.

Joseph loves going to cafés every now and then.

• · Talk about facts:

The Sun rises in the East.

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius .

• · Describe schedules/timetables:

The train for Da Lat leaves at 5:00 PM tomorrow.

• ·Describe time in the future, after conjunctions such as: after, when, before, as soon as, until, once

Come and see me when you arrive in Ha Noi!

I’ll pick her up at the airport as soon as her plane lands.

II. Form:

+ Affirmative:

I/You/We/They + V-bare He/She/It + V-s/es

+ Negative:

I/You/We/They + do not + V-bare He/She/It + does not + V-bare

Shortened form: do not = don't; does not = doesn't

+ Question:

Do + I/you/we/they + V-bare Does + he/she/it + V-bare

III. s/es – how to add

+ Verbs ending with -o, -s, -ch, -x, -sh, -z >> add -es

do > does wash > washes miss > misses

go > goes watch > watches buzz > buzzes

catch > catches fax > faxes smash > smashes

+ Verbs in consonant + -y >> change -y to -ies

study > studies fly > flies comply > complies

hurry > studies supply > supplies apply > applies

+ Others >> add -s

run > runs play > plays cook > cooks

chat > chats stay > stays test > tests

cast > casts fasten > fastens print > prints

IV. s/es – how to pronounce

+ Pronounce as /s/: verbs ending with /f/, /k/, /p/, /t/, /θ/

(Thần chú: Phải kêu phở tái thử)

Example: stuffs, looks, stops, crafts, baths

laughs, coughs

+ Pronounce as /ɪz/: verbs ending with -se, -ss, -ce, -z, -x, -sh, -ch, -ge

(Thần chú: Sáng sớm Cường zật xe SH chở gệ)

Example: bases, fusses, faces, buzzes, fixes, washes, catches, changes

+ Pronounce as /z/: others

Example: runs, climbs, whispers, stays, pretends, ...

V. Adverbs of frequency:

+ End-sentence adverbs: every day, every week, once a month, twice a year, three times a year, ...

Example: We go swimming on the weekend.

He goes to the dentist's once every six months.

+ Mid-sentence adverbs: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, hardly, hardly ever, never, etc.

- BE + Adverb:

I am always late for school.

He is often the last person to leave the meeting room.

- Adverb + Verb:

Peter usually goes anywhere at weekends.

My dad always goes fishing on Saturday.

They never cook dinner at home

- Auxiliary + Adverb + BE/Verb:

The exercises can sometimes be too difficult for students.

He doesn’t often go to work on time.

+ Usually/Sometimes at the beginning or at the end:

Example: Usually, the weather is very cold here.

It’s snowy sometimes.

+ Hardly/Rarely/Barely/Seldom/Never + do/does + S + V

Example: Seldom does she have time for shopping.

Never are they afraid of cockroaches.

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Related posts:

Present Continuous

Present Perfect