Hello! Today you will get acquainted with the present indefinite (simple) time in English - Present Simple, or as it is also called Present Indefenite. The study of tense forms of a verb in English always begins with the Present Simple, since it is basic. If you understand the structure of this tense, it will be easy for you to understand the rest of the tenses.
After studying the material, you will learn in which cases the Present Simple tense is used, get acquainted with the rules for forming the Present Simple and with many other nuances of using the Present Simple tense, shown in individual examples.
Meaning of Present Simple Tense
First, let's define the meaning of Present Simple tense. So, Present Simple expresses actions or states in the present tense, without indicating their duration, completion, precedence in relation to another action, etc.
Actions expressed in the Present Simple refer to the present tense, but, as a rule, do not occur at the moment of speech. This is how Present Simple differs from the present tense in Russian. The Russian present tense denotes both actions that relate to the present period of time and actions that occur at the moment of speech. In English, to express the latter, another form of the present tense is used, namely the Present Continuous. You can see this with this example:
- Present Simple: I speak Russian. - I speak Russian. (meaning, I can generally speak Russian)
- Present Continuous: I am speaking Russian - I speak Russian. (meaning - I speak Russian at the moment)
Rules for the formation of Present Simple Tense
And now it’s time to move on to the main thing - to the rules for forming Present Simple Tense in English.
Affirmative form of Present Simple Tense
To form the affirmative form of the Present Simple, auxiliary verbs are not required. For persons I, you singular and we, you, they plural, the forms of the verb in the Present Simple coincide with the infinitive form. This applies to both regular and irregular verbs.
Only in the 3rd person singular ( he, she, it) ending is added to the verb − s or —es. These endings are pronounced like [s], [z] or . For example:
- I make - he make s
- I sing -he sing s
- I rise - he rise s[ˈraɪzɪz]
The rules for pronouncing and writing these endings are the same as for the plural endings of nouns. You can find them in the article Plurals of nouns in English.
in the affirmative
Question form Present Simple Tense
The interrogative form is formed using an auxiliary verb to do, with the exception of modal verbs and verbs to be And to have. But we'll talk about these exceptions a little later. So, auxiliary verb to do used in forms do or does(For he, she, it), agreeing in person and number with the subject, and the main verb in all persons has the infinitive form.
To form the interrogative form of the Present Simple, the auxiliary verb do (does) is placed first before the subject, and the subject is followed by the main verb in the infinitive form.
Table
verb conjugations in Present Simple Tense
in interrogative form
Negative form of Present Simple Tense
The negative form is also formed using an auxiliary verb do (does), but in combination with a negative particle not. So, the subject comes first, then the auxiliary verb do (does) + negative particle not, and the main verb in the infinitive form.
Auxiliary do (does) usually merges into one word with a particle not:
- don't - don't
- does not − doesn't
Verb conjugation table in Present Simple Tense
in a negative form
Verb conjugation rules in Present Simple Tense
Exceptions to the rules
Now is the time to talk about exceptions to the rules! Remember!
The modal verbs can, ought, may, should, must, would, as well as the verbs to be and to have do not form the Present Simple forms according to the general rules!
In the affirmative form, modal verbs in the 3rd person singular form do not have an ending − s or —es:
- I can—he can
- I may -he may
- I ought—he ought
- I must -he must
- I should—he should
- I would -he would
Verb to be in the affirmative form has the forms am, is, are, was, were, depending on person and number, and the verb to have forms − have And has.
In interrogative and negative form, all these verbs are used as auxiliaries!
Review the following tables carefully and memorize them!
Conjugation table for the verb to be in the Present Simple Tense
Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
Unit h. | 1
2 3 | I am
You are He/She/It is | Am I? Are you? Is he/ she/ it? | I am (I"m) not
You are not (aren't) He/She/It is not (isn"t) |
Mn. h. | 1
2 3 | We are
You are They are | Are we? Are you? Are they? | We are not (aren't)
You are not (aren't) They are not (aren't) |
Conjugation table for the verb to have in the Present Simple Tense
Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
Unit h. | 1
2 3 | I have
You have He/She/It has | Have I? Have you? Has he/ she/ it? | I have not (haven't)
You have not (haven't) He/She/It has not (hasn't) |
Mn. h. | 1
2 3 | We have
You have They have | Have we? Have you? Have they? | We have not (haven't)
You have not (haven't) They have not (haven't) |
It should be noted that such a conjugation of the verb to have occurs only in cases where to have denotes the possession of something. In American English, and in this meaning, it is preferable to conjugate the verb to have using the auxiliary verb to do according to the general rules of Present Simple:
- British - I haven't any pens.
- American - I don't have any pens.
If the verb to have means - to receive, take, accept, experience, etc., then it is conjugated according to the general rules, both in British and American. For example:
- Do you have any difficulties getting there? − Is it difficult for you to get there?
In informal British English, the construction is often used instead of the verb to have have got, in which have plays the role of an auxiliary verb. For example:
- I haven't got any pens − I don't have any pens
Another way to express the negative form of the verb to have is to use the particle no instead of not a/ not any:
- I haven’t got any pens = I haven’t got any pens = I have no pens
Conjugation table for modal verbs in Present Simple Tense
(using the example of the verb - can)
Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
Unit h. | 1
2 3 | I can
You can He/She/It can | Can I? Can you? Can he/ she/ it? | I cannot (can't)
You cannot (can't) He/She/It cannot (can't) |
Mn. h. | 1
2 3 | We can
You can They can | Can we? Can you? Can they? | We cannot (can't)
You cannot (can't) They cannot (can't) |
Present Simple Tense is used:
1. When expressing repeated or constant actions in the present tense. Very often, such sentences contain time adverbials that express the frequency of the action:
- аlways - always
- often - often
- daily - daily
- usually - usually
- every day - every day
- regularly - regularly
- never - never
- sometimes - sometimes
- rarely - rarely
- rarely - infrequently
In most cases, time adverbs are placed between the subject and the predicate. Examples:
- I always help my brother in his studies. — I always help my brother with his studies.
- She usually gets up at eight o'clock. — She usually wakes up at eight o’clock.
- We have breakfast every day.− We have breakfast every day.
- Do you often visit your Grandmother? — Do you often visit your grandmother?
- Sandra daily makes exercises. — Sandra does exercises every day.
- I rarely meet with Jim. — I rarely meet Jim.
- Nick never goes home before nine. Nick never goes home before nine.
- My mother doesn't often give me work. — My mother doesn’t often give me work.
- She sometimes goes in our swimming-pool. — She sometimes goes to our pool.
The meaning of repeated or constant actions can be shown not only by adverbs, but also by the Present Simple form itself, for example, if the place or time of a regular action is indicated, or in the case of a list of successive actions.
- Nick goes to school at 9 o'clock. — Nick goes to school at 9 o’clock.
- I wake up, wash, have my breakfast, dress and go to university. — I wake up, wash my face, have breakfast, get dressed and go to the university.
2. When expressing an action or property that characterizes the subject at the current moment in time or constantly. For example:
- Nick speaks Russian very well. — Nick speaks Russian very well.
- My brother plays violin and sings. — My brother plays the violin and sings.
- He is a student. - He is a student.
- What is your name? - What is your name?
3. When expressing general provisions or well-known truths:
- The earth goes round the sun in 24 hours.− The earth goes around the sun in 24 hours.
- Two and two is four.− Twice two is four.
4. When denoting actions or states that occur at a given moment of speech, if they are expressed by verbs that are not used in the present continuous tense. Usually these are verbs that denote feelings, states, desires, thoughts, etc.
- Verbs of desire and expression of will: to want - to want, to desire - to desire, to wish - to desire, to mind - to worry, to refuse - to refuse, to forgive - to forgive, to demand - to demand...
- Verbs of feelings and emotions: to love - to love, to hate - to hate, to like - to like, to dislike - not to like, not to love, to adore - to adore, to respect - to respect, to detest - to disgust, to care for - to love, ...
- Verbs of physical perception and thinking: to hear - to hear, to see - to see, to smell - to smell, to agree - to agree, to believe - to believe, to doubt - to doubt, to notice - to notice, to forget - to forget, to remember - to remember, to know - to know , to suppose - to believe, to understand - to understand, to recognize - to recognize, to realize - to understand, to mean - to mean, to imagine - to imagine, to imagine, to fancy - to imagine, to perceive - to perceive, to think - to consider...
- General verbs: to be - to be, to have - to have, to belong to - to belong, to differ from - to differ, to concern - to touch, to consist of - to consist of, to contain - to contain, to resemble - to remind, to depend on - to depend on , to own - to own, to equal - to be equal, to include - to include, to involve - to involve, to lack - to lack, to matter - to matter, to owe - to be due, to possess - to possess, to deserve - to deserve, to remain - remain, to result - lead to...
For example:
- We respect our parents very much. — We respect our parents very much.
- What do you hear? -What do you hear?
- I don't see her here. - I don't see her here.
- We don't understand you. - We don't understand you.
- My mother don't allow me to go there. — My mother doesn’t allow me to go there.
5. When expressing future actions or states (presumed in the future) in adverbial subordinate clauses of time and conditions after conjunctions:
- if - if
- when - when
- unless - if not
- аs son as - as soon as
- till, until - yet (not)
- before - before
In Russian, such subordinate clauses are translated into the future tense. For example:
- I'll wait till you finish your homework. − I'll wait until you finish your homework.
- What shall we do if does it snow tonight? — What will we do if it snows tonight?
- Come tomorrow unless you are very busy. - Come tomorrow if you are not too busy.
- Let's wait until the rain stops. - Let's wait until the rain stops.
- I'll join you as soon as I can. - I'll join you as soon as I can.
Do not confuse these sentences with additional clauses after conjunctions when, if, which use the future tense. For example:
- Ask him if he will do it. − Ask him if he will do it.
5. When expressing planned actions in the near future with verbs:
- to leave - to leave
- to come - to come, to arrive
- to start - to go
- to return - return
- to come back - return
- to arrive - to arrive
- to go - to leave, leave, depart
For example:
- They leave next year. — They are leaving next year.
- We come back tomorrow. - We're coming back tomorrow.
As you can see, despite the fact that the structure of the formation of Present Simple Tense is one of the easiest among all tense forms, you will still have some work to do. I advise you to learn the basic rules for forming and using the Present Simple by heart. Good luck in learning English!
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There are 12 tenses in the English language instead of the 3 usual for Russian people. Today we will look at the Present Simple Tense (or Present Indefinite). It is translated into Russian as “simple present tense.”
With it we talk about our habits and preferences, skills and daily actions.
This tense is used constantly in English. Therefore, it is very important to fully understand and learn how to use it from the very beginning. This is perhaps the most basic tense in the English language. The base that our students master already at the first level of courses for adults.
In this article I will explain to you how and when to use the Present Simple, and also tell you about all the nuances of its use.
- Affirmative sentences in Present Simple
- Verb endings -s and -es in the Present simple
Using the Present Simple in English
Present Simple Tense is the simple present tense in English. This tense is used when we talk about actions that happen regularly.
For example: “She does exercises in the morning.”
The following cases of using Present Simple are distinguished:
1. About actions that we do regularly, usually.
We go to work; he reads books; we play sports.
2. About someone's habits and preferences.
Do you like watching comedies? she loves to eat sushi.
3. About the daily schedule, daily routine.
The bus arrives at 10:00; the plane to Paris leaves at 22:00
4. About your skills.
I read (I can read, but do not confuse it with “I am reading at the moment”). He swims (he can swim). I speak English (I can speak English).
Please note that this is the time we we don't use when we talk about actions that are happening right now. For example: “I am cooking (at the moment).”
Education rules affirmative sentences in Present Simple
The affirmative form of the Present Simple is formed using a simple scheme:
1. If the action is performed:
- I - I,
- you - you/you,
- we - we,
- they - they,
then the verb does not change in any way. Look at the table:
I | ||
You | drive | a car |
We | want | a bus |
They |
Example sentences
I go to work every day.
They usually get up early.
They usually get up early.
2. When actions are performed:
- He - he
- she - she,
- it - it,
then the ending is added to the verb s/es. Pay attention to the verbs in the table.
He | lik es | |
She | want s | a car |
It | driv es |
Example sentences
He play s football every Friday.
He plays football every Friday.
She like s green tea
She likes green tea.
Verb endings -s and -es in the Present Simple
Let's take a closer look at how the endings change if we use the pronouns he, she, it. Ending es We bet in the following cases.
- The verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, -o
ki ss(kiss) - kiss es;
cat ch(grab) - catch es;
fi x(fix) - fix es;
g o(go) - go es;
Examples
He wash es(wash - washes) his car often.
He washes his car often.
She miss es her brother (miss - misses).
She misses her brother.
- The verb ends in -y and it is preceded by a consonant. In this case we replace -y with -i and add the ending -es.
fl y(fly) - fl ies;
hurr y(hurry up) - hurr ies.
For example
She stud ies(study - studies) five new words every day.
She learns five new words every day.
Ending -s we bet in all other cases.
Note: if the verb ends in -y and stands in front of her vowel, then we just add the ending -s.
l ay(put) - la ys;
st ay(stay) - sta ys.
For example
She pla ys tennis twice a week.
She plays tennis twice a week.
Special words used in Present Simple
There are some words that indicate and help determine that this is the Present Simple. What all these words have in common is that they show that an action is happening (or not happening) periodically.
- Always - always;
- often - often;
- usually - usually;
- sometimes - sometimes;
- rarely - rarely;
- never - never;
- every time, every morning, every evening, every day - every time, every morning, every evening, every day.
Seeing these words, you can immediately understand that we are talking about some kind of regular, usual action for us.
For example
She cooks dinner usually by herself.
She usually cooks dinner herself.
They never play football.
They never don't play football.
Negative form in Present Simple
A negative sentence will be constructed in exactly the same way as in Russian: using the particle not. For example, I go to work. Let’s add “not” and it turns out: I don’t go to work.
In Present Simple particle Not consists of an auxiliary verb do or does and particles not.
To make a sentence negative, we need to put “not” in front of the verb. That is, the proposal will be structured according to the following scheme:
Actor + do/does not + action (verb in initial form).
Does we use it when we talk about one person (he, she, it), and in all other cases we must use do.
I | ||||
You | do | |||
We | like | to sleep | ||
They | not | want | to buy a car | |
He | go | to work | ||
She | does | |||
It |
Example sentences
Please note that when we use don't And does not The ending s/es is no longer added to the verb. After all, it is these auxiliary verbs that show time (read the article “Auxiliary verbs in English”). Why do you need to show 2 times that this is a real repeating tense?
Look.
He does not read_books.
He doesn't read books.
We don't talk
He does not reads books.
How can you shorten do not and does not?
We can abbreviate the particle not as follows.
Don't = don't.
Doesn't = doesn't.
Question form in Present Simple
To ask a question, you need to use auxiliary verbs do or does first place in the sentence. In this case, the word order does not change, that is, it will be the same as in the affirmative form. The scheme for constructing a question in the Present Simple is as follows:
Do/does + actor + action (verb in initial form)?
As usual, we use does with he, she, it. In all other cases we use do.
I | |||
Do | you | ||
we | like | to sleep? | |
they | want | to buy a car? | |
she | go | to work? | |
Does | he | ||
it |
Please note that in the question the verb is in the initial form and its ending does not change.
Do es she like_sweets?
Does she like sweets?
Statement
She usually drink s coffee in the morning.
She usually drinks coffee in the morning.
They eat different fruits every day.
They eat fruit every day.
Question
Does she usually drink_ coffee in the morning?
Does she usually drink coffee in the morning?
Do they eat different fruits every day?
Do they eat fruit every day?
Answers to questions in Present Simple
Short positive answer will contain an auxiliary verb do/does, which will replace the action itself (drinking, eating).
Yes, she does.
Yes, he drinks.
Yes, they do.
Yes, they do.
Complete positive answer will be constructed as an affirmative sentence.
Yes, she usually drinks s coffee in the morning.
Yes, she usually drinks coffee in the morning.
Yes, they eat different fruits every day.
Yes, they eat fruit every day.
IN short negative answer to do/does we add not.
No, she does not.
No, he doesn't drink.
No, they don't.
No, they don't eat.
Complete negative answer is constructed as a negative sentence:
No, she does not drink coffee in the morning.
No, she doesn't usually drink coffee in the morning.
No, they don't eat different fruits every day.
No, they don't eat fruit every day.
Examples
Do do you speak English? — Yes, I do.
Do you speak English? - Yes talking.
Do do you speak English? - No, I don't.
Do you speak English? - No I do not speak.
Do do they like to dance? - Yes, they like to dance.
Do they like to dance? - Yes, they like to dance.
Do do they like to dance? - No, they don't like to dance.
Do they like to dance? - No, they don't like to dance.
Does she play_ tennis? — Yes, she does.
She plays tennis? - Yes, he plays.
Does she play_ tennis? - No, she does not.
She plays tennis? - No, he doesn’t play.
Does he like to travel? - Yes, he likes s to travel.
Does he like to travel? — Yes, he likes to travel.
Does he like to travel? - No, he does not like to travel.
Does he like to travel? - No, he doesn't like to travel.
Special questions in the Present Simple
They should be used when you want to get some additional information. List of words:
- what - what,
- where - where,
- which - which one,
- why - why,
- when - when,
- who - who,
- how - how.
Question words + do/does + actor + action (verb in initial form)?
What | I | |||
Where | do | you | ||
Which | we | like | to sleep? | |
Why | they | want | to buy a car? | |
When | she | go | to work? | |
Who | does | he | ||
How | it |
Examples
Why does does he go to work?
Why does he go to work?
Where do do you usually go?
Where do you usually go?
When does did she come back?
When is she coming back?
What do do they usually watch?
What do they usually watch?
Which tea does she drink?
What kind of tea does she drink?
Who do do you live with?
Who do you live with?
The verb to be in the Present Simple
There is a special verb in English - to be. In the present tense, this verb has three forms: am, is, are.
Very often, English language learners get confused when to use it in the present tense and when not to. Because of this, mistakes are made.
Remember that we use the verb to be in the Present Simple when we want to say:
- who what by whom/what is (she is a nurse);
- who what what is (my cat is gray);
- who what Where is (dad at work).
That is, if we want describe the location anything state something or what is this thing/person, then we use the verb to be.
For example
I am a doctor.
I am a doctor.
She is at home.
She is at home.
We are good singers.
We are good singers.
When you say a phrase and doubt whether you should put the verb be there, you can always test yourself by asking questions to the sentence: am I who/what, is where, is what? If in translation the words “is, is, is” give the sentence a logical meaning, then in English such a sentence will be correct.
Now let's summarize briefly and look at the general table of the use of Present Simple time.
General table of present simple time use
So, Present Simple (simple present tense) is used in the following cases:
1. When we talk about actions that we do regularly, usually.
2. When we talk about someone's habits and preferences.
3. When it comes to the daily schedule, daily routine.
4. When we talk about our skills.
Let's look at the formation of all types of sentences in this tense.
Offer | Education formula | Examples | |
Affirmative | Actor + action (verb in initial form). For she, he, it: Actor + action ending -s/es. |
I go to work every day. She like s green tea |
|
Negative | Actor + do/does not + action (verb in initial form). | We don't like coffee. We Not we love coffee. She does not smoke. |
|
Interrogative | Do/does + actor + action (verb in initial form)? | Do do you speak English? Do you speak English? Does she play tennis? |
We have analyzed the Present Simple tense. It is quite simple, but you need to know how to use it correctly. If something remains unclear to you, do not hesitate to ask your questions in the comments.
Useful articles on the topic:
Reinforcement task
Now let's practice using the Present Simple tense. I propose to translate the following sentences into English.
1. I love animals.
2. He doesn't work on weekends.
3. Do your parents travel every summer?
4. My brother doesn't go to the gym.
5. I'm never late.
Present Simple Tense denotes an ordinary action that takes place every day in the present. Present indicates that the action is taking place in the present tense. The Simple aspect suggests that this very action is regular, ordinary, repetitive. Rules and examples will help you understand how this tense form is formed when used.
English sentences
To form sentences in English, the following components are required:
- subject
- predicate
- minor members
The order of words in an English sentence is strictly fixed. An affirmative sentence uses direct word order: subject-predicate-minor members.
Affirmative sentences
The Present Simple Tense sentence is formed quite simply. The subjects come first, which can be expressed by a noun or pronoun. In second place is the predicate expressed by the verb without the particle “to”.
I always get up early in the morning - I always get up early in the morning.
In this sentence, the predicate “get up” is in the 1st person, singular, and is used without the particle “to” and any endings. The same rule applies to other persons, both singular and plural, except for the 3rd person singular. If the subjects of a sentence are expressed by pronouns “He/She/It” or a singular noun, then the predicate verb has an ending -s/-es.
My mother go es shopping every day – My mother goes shopping every day.
He brush es his teeth every morning – He brushes his teeth every day.
Endings
Ending –es appears on verbs that end in -o, -s, -sh, -ch, -tch, -x, -z:
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go – goes (goes), dress – dresses (gets dressed), brush – brushes (cleans), c – teaches (trains) and others.
If the verb ends in -y, then when adding the ending –s The following “metamorphoses” occur:
- if the consonant is + -у, then -у changes to -ie and the ending –s is added to it: to try – tries (trying);
- if the vowel is + -y, then no changes occur: to buy – buys (we buy).
Negative sentences
In negative sentences in Present Simple Tense an assistant appears - an auxiliary verb do/does, to which the negative particle is attached not (not).
We do not go to the seaside in the evening - We do not go to the seaside in the evening.
Here again the “outcasts” are the pronouns “He/She/It” or singular nouns. They are followed by an auxiliary verb does (do + es = does), which “pulls” over the ending of the predicate verb -s/-es.
The particle not is placed between the auxiliary and main verb.
He does not know her name - He does not know her name.
Interrogative sentences
Once again, the auxiliary verb comes to the aid of the main verb. does for “He/She/It” and do in all other cases. In addition, there is another significant nuance. Affirmative and negative sentences in English use direct word order. In interrogative questions - the opposite.
This means that in the first place is the auxiliary verb, in the second place are the subjects, in the third place is the main verb without ending, in the fourth place are the remaining members of the sentence.
Do you like candies? - Do you like candy?
Does your sister go to school? – Does your sister go to school?
A question to a subject does not require an auxiliary verb. It retains the direct word order characteristic of English affirmative sentences ( Who knows her name? – Who knows her name?).
Verb to be
Stands apart from all verbs to be- to be, is. It has the following features:
- It is the only verb in the English language that changes for persons and numbers. Singular: I am (I am), you are (you are), he is (he is), she is (she is), it is (it is). Plural: we are (we are), you are (you are), they are (they are).
I am teacher - I am a teacher.
He is a clever man - He is a smart man.
- This is the only verb that does not use an auxiliary verb in negative and interrogative sentences. When negated, the particle not is added directly to it. In questions, it comes first before the subject.
We are not travelers - We are not travelers.
Is she a good doctor? – Is she a good doctor?
What have we learned?
So, Present Simple (Simple Present Tense) denotes an action that occurs in the present time and is ordinary, regular, repeated from time to time.
The predicate expressed by a verb in the Present Simple tense form almost always coincides with its initial form without the particle to.
The exception is verbs in the third person singular: they are appended with the endings -s or -es. In affirmative and negative sentences, direct word order applies. The question is the opposite. In negative and interrogative sentences, the auxiliary do/does comes to the aid of the main verb.
Test on the topic
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Present Simple. Questions and negative sentences
Simple present tense. Questions and denials
Questions. Questions
Having learned to compose simple affirmative sentences in Present Simple, we will learn how to correctly ask questions and answer them in both affirmative and negative form.
Let's start with examples of English questions. Pay attention to their design.
1. Do you learn English? - Do you learn English?
2.
Do your parents live in London?- Do your parents live in London?
3. Does he like ice-cream? - Does he like ice cream?
4. Does she work in a cafe? - Does she work in a cafe?
5.
Do they speak Spanish very well?- Do they speak Spanish well?
6. Do we understand each other? - Do we understand each other? (each other - each other)
As can be seen from the examples, the questions have a slightly different form, in contrast to the questions with the verb to be that we met earlier. You have to fight with this so as not to accidentally put the verb to be where it is not required.
Let's take a closer look at the construction of the English interrogative sentence.
Let's take a sentence for clarity:
You live in London - You live in London
The question for this proposal would look like this:
Do you live in London?
The question now has an auxiliary verb do, which is placed at the very beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject (pronoun or noun, in this case you), and then the verb itself. Although the verb do itself means “to do,” in this case it acts as an auxiliary verb and is not translated into Russian in any way.
The verb do is required in English interrogative sentences. Don't forget about him.
Look at some more examples of constructing interrogative sentences:
I work in a bank - I work in a bank
Do I work in a bank? - I work in a Bank?
They read a book - They are reading a book
Do they read a book? - They are reading a book?
Questions for such sentences follow the same pattern, however, in the forms he / she / it, the verb do must necessarily take the form does. In this case, the main verb must be in the infinitive form, that is, there will no longer be an ending -s:
He doesn't work s in a hospital- He works in a hospital
Does he work in a hospital?- He works in a hospital?
Do not say: Do he work in a hospital? Or Does he work s in a hospital?
More examples of correct construction of interrogative sentences:
Mary lives in New York - Mary lives in New York
Does Mary live in New York? - Does Mary live in New York?
It works well - It works well
Does it work well? - Does this work well?
Answers. Answers
To give an affirmative answer to a question, you need to say Yes and an affirmative sentence. It is very easy:
Do you live in Washington? - Do you live in Washington?
- Yes, I live in Washington - Yes, I live in Washington.
Do your parents study English?- Do your parents teach English?
- Yes, my parents study English- Yes, my parents teach English.
Does Jane understand Mr. Brown?- Does Jane understand Mr. Brown?
- Yes, Jane understands Mr. Brown- Yes, Jane understands Mr. Brown.
Try to give positive answers to the following questions yourself:
1. Do you read books? - Do you read books?
2. Do they drink coffee? - Do they drink coffee?
3.
Does Peter eat in the kitchen?- Does Peter eat in the kitchen?
4. Does Sandra like our town? - Does Sandra like our city?
5. Do we work together? - We work together? (together - together)
You can see the answers by moving the cursor to the sentences.
Negative answers. Negative responses
Now let's learn to give negative answers to these questions. To construct negative sentences, the auxiliary verb do is again needed. It will be in negative form. Let's look at examples:
Do you live in New York? - Do you live in New York?
- No, I don't live in New York- No, I don't live in New York
Do your friends work in a hospital?- Do your friends work at the hospital?
- No, my friends don't work in a hospital- No, my friends don’t work at the hospital.
Does Jane learn English every day?- Does Jane study English every day?
- No, Jane doesn't learn Engilsh every day- No, Jane doesn't learn English every day.
Does Peter like coffee? - Does Peter like coffee?
- No, Peter doesn't like coffee- No, Peter doesn't like coffee.
In negative sentences, the auxiliary verb do takes the form don"t in almost all forms. In the persons he, she and it it will be the form doesn"t. These auxiliary verbs are placed before the main verbs. Compare:
I live in Moscow - I live in Moscow
I don"t live in Moscow - I don’t live in Moscow
We study French - We learn French
We don't study French - We don't learn French
Eric and George work together - Eric and George work together
Eric and George don't work together- Eric and George don't work together
She likes sandwiches - She likes sandwiches
She doesn't like sandwiches - She doesn't like sandwiches
To reinforce this, answer the following questions in a negative form:
1. Do you like ice-cream? - Do you like ice cream?
2. Does Mary live with her parents? - Does Mary live with her parents?
3. Do Chris and Sally eat meat? - Do Chris and Sally eat meat?
4. Does your brother write books? - Does your brother write books?
Exercises
Exercises
Exercise 1
Ask direct questions to proposals
Example:
I live in England - Do you live in England?
A
1. They work in a factory; 2. She works in a factory; 3. I work in a factory; 4. We work in a factory; 5. Bob works in a factory; 6. You work in a factory.
B
1. He lives in London; 2. I read books; 3. They eat apples; 4. Mary learns English; 5. We understand Spanish; 6. You drink mineral water; 7. Harry washes the plates; 8. I write a message; 9. Den and Chris watch films on TV; 10. She likes English exercises.
Exercise 2
Answer yes to the questions
Example:
Do you eat apples? - Yes, I eat apples.
A
1. Do you learn English? 2. Does she learn English? 3. Do they learn English? 4. Does your brother learn English? 5. Do I learn English? 6. Does he learn English? 7. Do we learn English?
B
1. Does Patrick work in a bank? 2. Do your parents live in Liverpool? 3. Do you watch TV? 4. Does the dog eat meat? 5. Does she read magazines? 6. Do we speak French well? 7. Do you see my keys? 8. Do they like hamburgers? 9. Does she wash the clothes? 10. Does he fly to Washington?
Exercise 3
Put the sentences in negative form
Example:
We speak Spanish - We don't speak Spanish
A
1. I see an elephant; 2. She sees an elephant; 3. You see an elephant; 4. They see an elephant; 5. He sees an elephant; 6. My parents see an elephant; 7. We see an elephant; 8. Daniel sees an elephant.
B
1. We work every day; 2. I write a letter; 3. Sandra likes fruit; 4. The child cries a lot; 5. Frank and Mandy live together; 6. He learns foreign languages; 7. They drink a lot of milk; 8. The dog eats an apple; 9. I like computer games; 10. Steve studies in Great Britain.
Exercise 4
Give first affirmative and then negative answers to questions.
Example:
Do you live in New York?
a) Yes, I live in New York
b) No, I don't live in New York
A
1. Do we eat oranges? 2. Does he eat oranges? 3. Do they eat oranges? 4. Do you eat oranges? 5. Does she eat oranges? 6. Do Jim and you eat oranges? 7. Does the dog eat oranges?
B
1. Does he watch news? 2. Do you like tea? 3. Does she learn German? 4. Do they wash the clothes every day? 5. Do the boys understand that book? 6. Does the teacher live far from school? 7. Do Steve and you work in a hotel? 8. Do your parents like to write e-mails? 9. Does Christie cry a lot every day? 10. Does Tom dress his young brother?
Exercise 5
Translate the sentences into English
A
1. I'm learning English. - Do you learn English? 2. Sam works in a bank. - Does Sam work in a bank? 3. My friends live in Madrid. - Do your friends live in Madrid? 4. We like foreign languages. - Do you like foreign languages? 5. Sarah watches TV every day. - Does she watch TV every day? 6. You study a lot. - Do I study a lot? 7. She washes clothes. - Does she wash clothes? 8. Mary and I live together. - Do you live together? 9. Steve reads the newspapers in the evening. - Does he read newspapers in the evening? 10. In the morning I drink orange juice. - Do you drink orange juice in the morning?
B
1. Do you work at a factory? - Yes, I work at a factory; 2. Does Patrick live in England? - Yes, Patrick lives in England; 3. Do your parents understand English? - Yes, my parents understand English; 4. Do you see that woman? - Yes, we see that woman; 5. Does Sally wash the dishes? - Yes, Sally washes the dishes; 6. Do they speak Spanish? - No, they don't speak Spanish; 7. Does Susan live in Moscow? - No, Susan does not live in Moscow; 8. Do you like this ice cream? - No, I don’t like this ice cream; 9. Does Bob like your car? - No, Bob doesn't like my car; 10. Do you eat meat every day? - No, we don't eat meat every day.
Exercise 6
To be and ordinary verbs. Put the sentences in negative form
Example:
She is a doctor - She is not a doctor
She works in a hospital - She doesn't work in a hospital
1. I am a student; 2. I study in California; 3. We are friends; 4. They like small houses; 5. He understands English very well; 6. He is from Britain; 7. The room is big and comfortable; 8. The children like computer games; 9. She watches cartoons; 10. She is very young.
Exercise 7
To be and ordinary verbs. Put the sentences in interrogative form
Example:
The boys speak loudly - Do they speak loudly?
The boys are in the car - Are they in the car?
1. The teacher speaks three languages; 2. I"m very happy; 3. My parents are in Barcelona; 4. My parents live in Barcelona; 5. Sally works nine hours every day; 6. Sally is a very nice girl; 7. The dog eats very little; 8. The dog is ill; 9. We like to watch films on TV; 10. My friend writes e-mails very often.
Exercise 8
To be and ordinary verbs. Answer the questions
Example:
Are you a teacher? - No, I"m not a teacher
Do you fly to America? - Yes, I fly to America
1. Is your mother a doctor? - Yes, _________________________________;
2. Does Jim like animals? - No, _________________________________;
3. Are you Russian? - Yes, _________________________________;
4. Do you speak English? - Yes, _________________________________;
5. Do your friends study in Cambridge? - No, _________________________________;
6. Is your brother fat? - No, _________________________________;
7. Does your brother wash the plates? - Yes, _________________________________;
8. Are they old friends? - No, _________________________________;
9. Do your grandparents live abroad? - No, _________________________________;
10. Does the child cry early in the morning? - Yes, ________________________.
Present Simple is one of the most common in a sentence and denotes an action that occurs regularly, constantly, as can be seen in the following example:
The example above describes an action that Jane performs regularly (for example, from Monday to Friday). However, this does not at all mean that Jane is performing the same action right now: perhaps it is now her day off and she is resting or doing something unrelated to her profession.
Formation of the affirmative form Present Simple
Affirmative, that is, non-interrogative and not containing negation not by using the original form of the verb without in the sentence, for example:
However, if the subject of a sentence is expressed in the form 3rd person singular(what do the pronouns correspond to? he - he,she - she,it - it), then the verb gets the ending –(e)s:
to travel | He usually travel s two times a year. | He usually goes on a trip twice a year. |
to earn | Tom earn s a lot of money. | Tom earns a lot of money. |
to smoke | Jim smoke s 10 cigarettes a day. | Jim smokes 10 cigarettes a day. |
Features of the formation of the 3rd person singular form of some verbs
- If the verb ends in –s, -z, -sh, -ch, -x or – o, then the ending is added when forming this form – es:
to pass | passes | Jim always passes the ball to me. | Jim always passes the ball to me. |
to buzz | buzzes | This bee buzzes very loudly. | This bee buzzes very loudly. |
to wash | washes | Mary washes the dishes in a restaurant. | Mary washes dishes in a restaurant. |
to teach | teaches | Tom teaches history at school. | Tom teaches history at school. |
to fix | fixes | Alex fixes cars at Phil's Garage. | Alex repairs cars at Phil's Garage. |
to go | goes | Jessica goes to a disco every Saturday. | Jessica goes to the disco every Saturday. |
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the letter -e- at the end in this case it is read as [I] (except for verbs in -O), whereas when adding – s to a verb with “dumb” (unreadable) -e at the end, -e remains unpronounceable. Compare:
to watch – watches
to make – makes
- If the verb ends in – y, then you should pay attention to which letter is before – y: vowel means that – at is preserved when adding an ending, a consonant means - y will turn into – ie:
Formation of the negative form in the Present Simple
If you need to use a verb with a particle not, that is, to make a negative sentence, you will need an auxiliary for most cases and its form does for the 3rd person singular. A particle is added directly to the auxiliary verb not, which in practice quite often gives the following abbreviations:
don't= don't
does not = doesn’t
An auxiliary verb in one of the above negative forms is placed immediately before the semantic verb, which must be in the original form, that is, the ending –(e)s the 3rd person singular is not added. This is due to the fact that the ending –(e)s in this case it is already present in the auxiliary verb in the form do es n't. For example:
We don't like coffee. | We don't like coffee. |
He doesn't play basketball at school. | He doesn't play basketball at school. |
They breakfast in the morning. | They don't have breakfast in the morning. |
Sarah doesn't walk her dog in the afternoon. | Sarah doesn't walk her dog in the afternoon. |
Formation of interrogative forms in Present Simple
The form on which the compilation of any (and there are 5 in total) is based is the form general issue, that is, a question requiring a “Yes” or “No” answer. It is formed by placing the same auxiliary verb first in the sentence Do or its forms Does for the 3rd person singular, followed by the subject and semantic verb in the original form, respectively:
Do/Does +S+ V 1...?
Where S– subject, and V 1– semantic verb in its original form.
The answer to such questions is often the words Yes and No. However, answering with just one of these words will not be sufficient in English. Traditionally, a short answer to a general question is constructed according to the following schemes:
a) for an affirmative answer: Yes, SP+ do/does., Where SP – subject in the form of a personal pronoun, for example:
–
Do you travel a lot?
– Yes, I do. |
- Do you travel a lot?
- Yes. |
– Does Mary work in a hotel?
– Yes, she does. |
– Does Mary work at a hotel?
- Yes. |
b) for a negative answer: No, SP+ don't/doesn't., For example:
Special question or a question with a question word requests specific information and is built according to the scheme:
Wh + do/does + S + V 1 ...?
Where Wh – question word, S– subject, and V 1– semantic verb in its original form, for example:
However, it should be noted that this pattern is not suitable for questions beginning with Who to mean “Who?” and (less commonly) What meaning “What?” (in the nominative case), since such questions do not belong to the special group. This questions to the subject, which require education according to the following scheme:
Who/What + V(e)s…?
The verb in such questions most often takes the 3rd person singular form ( V(e)s), For example:
Alternative question suggesting a certain choice from two or more objects or actions, is constructed exactly by analogy with the general question, but requires the presence of a conjunction in the sentence or/or, For example:
Separated question, or so-called “tag question,” is a small addition to an affirmative or negative sentence and questions what is said in it. Such a question is always translated into Russian in the same way – “isn’t it? / isn’t it?”, but it is formed differently depending on the structure of the original sentence, for example:
The dividing question is constructed according to the following schemes:
a) for an affirmative base sentence: don't/doesn't +SP?
b) for a negative base sentence: do/does +SP?
The given rules for the formation of affirmative (Affirmative), interrogative (Interrogative) and negative (Negative) forms allow you to understand how the Present Simple is formed, and you can easily remember them using the following table (using the example of a verb to have – “to have” in 3rd person singular numbers have the form has.
Areas of use of Present Simple
action that occurs regularly | Iusuallyget up at 7 o'clock. | I usually get up at 7 o'clock. |
action that happens constantly | We live in a small village near Dublin. | We live in a small village near Dublin. |
well-known facts | Water freezes at 0º C. | Water freezes at0 º C. |
actions that will happen in the future according to a plan or schedule | Our train arrives at 8:30 p.m. | Our train will arrive at 8:30 pm. |
sequencing, acting as a kind of forward planning | I graduate from the university, take a year off, travel a lot, find an interesting job and only then think of getting married. | I graduate from university, take a year off, travel a lot, find an interesting job, and only then think about marriage. |
actions that happened in the past, in headlines to emotionally "close" the event | Terrorists organize riots in Paris. | Terrorists organized riots in Paris. |
Thus, the present simple tense is widely used in speech and is one of the basic elements on which subsequent learning of the English language is built.