Present simple

1. The present simple

I live in that house.

She runs every day.

2. Structure of present simple 

• Affirmative form

  In affirmative sentences the verb has the same form with all the pronouns, except he, she and it.

  Subject	Verb	Examples
  I	work	I work in a factory.
  You		You work in a factory.
  He	works	He works in a factory.
  She		She works in a factory.
  It		It works.
  We	work	We work in a factory.
  You		You work in a factory.
  They		They work in a factory.

  As we can see, an -s or  -es is added to the third person singular verb (he/she/it) depending on its ending.

  Ending	Examples
  If the verb used ends in -SS, -SH, -CH, -O, or -X, the ending of the third person is -ES	To kiss   He kisses
  	To fish   He fishes
  	To watch   She watches
  	To go   She goes
  	To fix   He fixes
  If the verb used ends in a consonant plus    -Y, the ending of the third person is formed replacing the -Y with -IES	To study   He studies
  	To fly   She flies
  If the verb used ends in a vowel plus -      Y, we just add an -S at the end.	To play   He plays
  	To stay   He stays

• Negative form

  In negative sentences we add the auxiliary verb do followed by the particle not between the subject and the main verb, although with he, she and it we'll use the form does followed by the particle not.

  Subject	AuxiliarY	Verb	Examples
  I	do not don't	work	I don't work in a factory.
  You			You don't work in a factory.
  He	does not doesn't		He doesn't work in a factory.
  She			She doesn't work in a factory.
  It			It doesn't work.
  We	do not don't		We don't work in a factory.
  You			You don't work in a factory.
  They			They don't work in a factory.

  Notice that in the 3^rd person singular there is no -s added to the end of the verb in the negative form, as the auxiliary takes the -s (doesn't). The same happens in the case of questions, as follows.

  It's more usual to use the contracted form don't and doesn't rather than do not or does not.
• Interrogative form
  In questions the auxiliary verb do or does is placed at the beginning of the sentence followed by the subject, then the main verb and after that, the rest of the sentence.

  AuxiliarY	Subject	Verb	Examples
  Do	I	work?	Do I work in a factory?
  	you		Do you work in a factory?
  Does	he	work?	Does he work in a factory?
  	she		Does she work in a factory?
  	it		Does it work?
  Do	we	work?	Do we work in a factory?
  	you		Do you work in a factory?
  	they		Do they work in a factory?

  As it happens with the verbs to be and have got, the questions in present simple also have short answers.

  Adverb	Subject	AuxiliarY
  Yes,	I	do
  	you
  	he	does
  	she
  	it
  	we	do
  	you
  	they

  Do you work in a factory? Yes, I do.

  Adverb	Subject	AuxiliarY
  No,	I	don't
  	you
  	he	doesn't
  	she
  	it
  	we	don't
  	you
  	they

  Does he fly in a plane? No, he doesn't.

3. How is the present simple used?

The present simple is mainly used to express:

Remember!

The present simple (I sing) has the following structure:

The main uses of the present simple are: