Simple Present Statements

Use 

Simple present statements  are used to describe regular activities or things that are true "all the time". This tense is also used to describe daily routines. 

I eat breakfast at 7:00 a.m. every day. 

They don't like to get up early in the morning. 

Form  

Simple present statements are formed with a subject and the base form of the verb (the verb without any ending). However, with third person singular subjects (he/she/it), the verb takes an -s ending. 

 * Affirmative statements:  

subject + base form of the verb + complement 

      I             exercise                      every day                               

* Statements with third person singular subjects:  

He/She/It + base forms of the verb + -s/-es/-ies + complement 

       She                            exercises                           every day       

* Negative statements: 

subject + don't + base form of the verb + complement 

  I            don't          exercise                      every day 

* Negative statements with third person singular person subjects: 

He/She/It + doesn't + base form of the verb + complement 

      She       doesn't          exercise                      every day  

* Don't = do not 

* Doesn't = does not 

Questions 

* Yes-No questions: 

Do + subject + base form of the verb + complement? 

Do       you               exercise              every day ? 

Short answer: Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

* Yes-No questions with third person singular subjects: 

Does + he/she/it + base form of the verb + complement? 

 Does        she               exercise                    every day?     

Short answer: Yes, she does. / No, she doesn't. 

* Information questions (WH-questions): 

Question word + do + subject + base form of the verb + complement? 

   Where              do       you                live                               in Rio?    

Answer:  I live in Tijuca. 

* Information questions with third person singular subjects: 

Question word + does + he/she/it + base form of the verb + complement? 

        Where         does           she                  live                        in Rio? 

Answer:  She lives in Tijuca, too. 

Spelling rules 

The spelling rules for the -s ending on verbs in the third personsingular are the same as for noun plurals. Here are some rules: 

* For most verbs: add -s 

                    Work - works        Listen - listens        Swim - swims 

* For verbs ending in o, s, ss, sh, ch, x or z: add -es 

                    Go - goes        Kiss - kisses        Watch - watches 

* For verbs ending in a consonant and y: change y to i and add -es 

                    Study - studies        Cry - cries        Try - tries 

* For verbs ending in a vowel and y: add -s 

                    Play - plays        Buy - buys        Say - says 

* Special third person singular forms: The third person singular form of have is has.  

HAVE  

"Have got" is mainly used in British English (BrE). You can also use "have" on its own (especially in American English - AmE). In this case, however, you must form negative sentences and questions with the auxiliary ver "do". 

* Affirmative statements:  I have / I have got

* Affirmative statements - 3rd person singular:  He has / He has got  

* Negative statements:  You don't have / You haven't got 

* Negative statements - 3rd person singular:  She doesn't have / She hasn't got 

* Questions:  Do they have? / Do they have got?

* Questions - 3rd person singular:  Does she have? / Does she have got?   

Corpus information 

The simple present is about six times more frequent than the present continuous, and so it is taught first. 

Touchstone 1

Michael McCarthy

Jeanne McCarten

Helen Sandiford 

Cambridge University Press