Spelling of third person singular forms

1The normal rule is to add – s to the infinitive: work— works sit— sits ask - asks

2 Verbs ending in a consonant + y change y to i and add –es: cry - cries hurry - hurries reply – replies fly – flies carry - carries study - studies

3. Verbs ending in a vowel + y obey the usual rule:

obey - obeys play – plays buy – buys enjoy - enjoys

3. Verbs ending in - s, -z, -ch, -sh, and - x add -es to infinitive:

miss - misses buzz - buzzes watch - watches push - pushes fix - fixes dress - dresses

Exception s: have - has go- goes do - does

Use of the present simple tense

The Present Indefinite may have a special affirmative form which is used for emphasis. This emphatic form is built up analyti­cally, by means of the Present Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to do followed by the infinitive of the notional verb without the par­ticle to. The auxiliary verb is heavily stressed in this case (e.g. I 'do insist on it. He 'does insist on it).

The present simple generally refers to facts that are always true or to something that is true in general:

• Magnet attracts iron.

• The sun rises in the East.

• Trees grow more quickly in summer than in winter.

• My sister plays the piano brilliantly.

• What do whales eat?

2 We use the present simple to talk about habits or repeated actions:

• Each August we go to Italy for a holiday.

• British people drink a lot of tea.

• I listen to the radio in the morning.

• She smokes ten cigarettes a day.

3. We often use the present simple with verbs that perform the action they describe:

• I admit I can't see as well as I used to. (an admission)

• I refuse to believe that he didn't know the car was stolen. (a refusal)

• I apologise for what I said about you. (an apology)

• I promise never to smoke again. (a promise)

Other verbs like this include accept, acknowledge, advise, assume, deny, guarantee, hope, inform, predict, promise, recommend, suggest, suppose, warn.

We can use modals with these verbs to make what we say more tentative or polite:

• I would advise you to arrive two hours before the flight leaves.

• I'm afraid I have to inform you that your application for funding has been turned down.

4. In spoken English the present simple is used with a perfect or past meaning in phrases such as Igather, I hear, I see, and I understand to introduce news that we have heard, read or seen (e.g. on television):

• I gather you're worried about the new job?

• The Prince is coming to visit, and I hear he's very rich.

• I see there’s been trouble down at the factory.

5. The present simple is used for suggestions with Why don’t you ...?.

• Why don’t you join us?

• Why don't you photocopy the document?

• Why don’t you go on holiday?

Activities

Exercise 8. Makeall types of questions to the following sentences.

1 Carol lives in a very nice cottage with her family. 2 I usually get up early because I hate being late to my office. 3. No one lives in that house now. They believe it's haunted. 4. Pete always reads some pages from one book or another be­fore going to bed. 5. We seldom see each other these days... I don't know why. 6 Gerry goes to the video arcade every day. 7.It takes him hours to get here. 8. Lots of people enter this University every year.9.He always pays by credit card.10.I keep to a diet every spring.12Most teenagers follow fashion.

THE PRESENT SIMPLE OR THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Exercise 15. Choose the most appropriate words underlined.

1I haven't decided yet about whether to buy a new car or a second-hand one. But I think about it/ I'm thinking about it. 2 All right, you try to fix the television! But I hope/I'm hoping you know what you're doing! 3. Every year I visit/I'm visiting Britain to improve my English. 4. It's time we turned on the central heating. It gets/It is getting colder every day. 5. Of course, you're Mary, aren't you! I recognise/I am recognising you now. 6 What's the matter? Why do you look/are you looking at me like that? 7. The film of War and Peace is very long. It lasts/It is lasting over four hours. 8. I can see from what you say that your mornings are very busy! But what do you do/are you doing in the afternoons? 9. I'm going to buy a new swimming costume. My old one doesn't it/isn't fitting any more. 10.That must be the end of the first part of the performance. What happens now/is happening now?

Exercise 17. Put each verb in brackets into the most suitable present tense.

1 I hear (,hear)that you have been promoted. Congratulations! 2 British people.................... (drink) more and more wine, apparently. 3.I hope Sarah will be here soon. I.................... (depend) on her.4. Please be quiet! You.................... (continually interrupt). 5.Hey, you! What.................... (you think) you're doing? 6 Could you come here please? I.................... (want) to talk to you now. 7. Jane is away on holiday so Linda.................... (handle) her work. 8. To be honest, I.................... (doubt) whether Jim will be here next week. 9. You've only just started the job, haven't you? How.................... (you get on)? 10. Pay no attention to Graham. He.................... (just be) sarcastic again.

Exercise19. Put each verb in brackets into the most suitable present tense.

I work in a large office with about thirty other people, most of whom I (1).....................(know) quite well. We (2)............... (spend) most of the day together, so we have all become friends. In fact, most of my colleagues are so interesting, that I (3)............... (think) of writing a book about them! (4)............... (take) Helen Watson, for example. Helen (5)............... (run) the accounts department. At the moment she (6)............... (go out) with Keith Ballantine, one of the sales representatives, and they (7)............... (seem) very happy together. But everyone (except Helen apparently) (8).............. (know) that Keith (9)...............(always make) eyes at Susan Porter. But I (10)............... (happen) to know that Susan (11).............. (dislike) Keith. 'I can't stand people who (12)............... (apologise) all the time!' she told me. 'And besides, I know he (13)............... (deceive) poor Helen. He (14)............... (see) Betty Wills from the overseas department.' And plenty of other interesting things (15)............... (go on) For instance, every week money (16)............... (disappear) from the petty cash box. When you (17)............... (realise) that someone in your office is a thief, it (18)............... (upset) you at first. But I (19)............... (also try) to catch whoever it is before the police are called in. I'm not going to tell you who I (20)............... (suspect). Well, not yet anyway!

Exercise Put the verbs in brackets into the simple present or the present continuous tense.

1 What you (do) in the evenings?-I usually (knit) and (watch) TV. 2.He usually (speak) so quickly that I (not understand) him. 3 Hardly anyone (wear) a hat nowadays. 4 I'm afraid I've broken one of your coffee cups. - Don't worry. I (not like) that set anyway. 5 I (wear) my sunglasses today because the sun is very strong. 6 You (enjoy) yourself or would you like to leave now?-I (enjoy) myself very much. I (want) to stay to the end. 7 How you (get) to work as a rule? - I usually (go) by bus but tomorrow I (go) in Tom's car. 8 Why you (take) the umbrella? – It (rain)? 9 How much you (owe) him? - I (owe) him £5. - You (intend) to pay him? 10 You (love) him?- No, I (like) him very much but I (not love) him. 11 My brother usually (learn) languages very quickly but he (not seem) able to learn Latin. 11 I always (buy) lottery tickets but I never (win) anything. 12 You (like) this ring? I (give) it to my daughter for her birthday tomorrow. 14 I won't tell you my secret unless you (promise) not to tell anyone. -I (promise). 15 You always (write) with your left hand? 16 You (dream) at night? - Yes, I always (dream) and if I (eat) too much supper I (have) nightmares. 16 The milk (smell) sour. You (keep) milk a long time? 17 We (use) this room today because the window in the other room is broken. 18 He always (say) that he will mend the window but he never (do) it. 19 You (know) why water always (flow) downhill and not up? 20 You (write) to him tonight? - Yes, I always (write) to him on his birthday. You (want) to send any message? 21 Tom and Mare (have) an argument. They constantly (quarel).22 You (believe) all that the newspapers say? -No, I (not believe) any of it. -Then why you (read) newspapers? 24 This car (make) a very strange noise. You (think) it is all right? -Oh, that noise (not matter). It always (make) a noise like that. 25 What you (think) ofhis latest book? – I (think) it is great. - I (agree) with you.26 What this one (cost)?-It (cost) forty pence.3 You (hear) the wind? It (blow) very strongly tonight. 25 You (see) my car keys anywhere? -No, I (look) for them but I (not see) them. 25 He never (listen) to what you say. He always (think) about something else. 27 This book is about a man who (desert) his family and (go) to live on a Pacific island. 28 You (understand) what the lecturer is saying? ~ No, I (not understand) him at all. 29 What you (have) for breakfast usually? ~I usually (eat) a carrot and (drink) a glass of cold water.30 'Listen! You (to hear) that noise?' - 'That's our neighbours. They (to shout) again. 31 Why you (walk) so fast today? You usually (walk) quite slowly. - I (hurry) because I (meet) my mother at 4 o'clock and she (not like)to be kept waiting. 32 I (wish) that dog would lie down. He (keep) jumping up on my lap. -I (think) he (want) to go for a walk. 33 I (recognize)you now. – You are Mrs White, aren’t you? 34 Look at that man. I (wonder) what he(do) on the roof. 35 This message has just arrived and the man (wait) in case you (want) to sent a reply.36 Stop! You (not see) the notice? ~I (see) it but I can't read it because I (not wear) my glasses. What it(say)?-It (say) ‘These premises are patrolled by guard dogs’.

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