Present Simple

on weekend       every week        today           sometimes      in summer

nowadays              always               every day         often           usually      

• Study this example situation:

Jack is a bus driver. But now he is asleep in bed.

So:

He is not driving a bus (he is asleep)

But:

He drives a bus.

This is the present simple tense:

I/we/you/they drive

he/she/it drives

We use the present simple to talk about things in general (general truth). We are not thinking only about the present. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general. It is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking:

               -  The earth goes round the sun.

               -  Nurses look after patients in hospitals.

               -  In Brittain most of the shops close at 5.30 p.m.

Remember that we say he/she/it -s. Don't forget the s:

               -  I work in a bank. Harry works in a bakery.

               -  Indonesia produces the best coffee in the world.

• We use do/does to make questions and negative sentences:

                   do     I/we/you/they    work?

                   does   he/she/it          work?

                   I/we/you/they   don't      work.

                   he/she/it           doesn't  work.

             -  Excuse me, do you speak English?

             -  'Would you like a cigarette?'  'No, thanks. I don't smoke.'

             -  What does this word mean? ( not 'What means this word?')

             -  Rice doesn't grow in Brittain.

• We use the present simple when we say how often we do things ( habitual actions):

            -  I get up at 8 o'clock every morning. (not am getting).

            -  How often do you go to the dentist?

            -  Mia doesn't often drink tea.

            - In summer Tom usually plays tennis twice a week.

• Note that we say 'Where do you come from? (= Where are you from/);

            -  Where do you come from? (not 'Where are you coming from?)

            -  He comes from Indonesia. (not 'He is coming from Indonesia.')

• When you make a suggestion, you can say Why don't you ...?:

           -  'I'm tired.'  'Why don't you go to bed early?'

• We use do with another verb to show emphasis:

          -  He does look like his father.

          -  She may not be brilliant, but she does get good grades.

• Expresses commands or requests:

          -  Please let me know how you get along.

          -  Call him if you have time.

• We use with verbs such as, wish, hope, fear, love, like, hate, understand, believe, know:

          -  Brian understands Spanish.

          -  I hope for the best.

          -  She loves the album very much.

          -  He actually knows it is not right.

[References:

Murphy, Raymond (1985) English Grammar in Use, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Wishon, George, E & Burks, Julia, M (1980) Let's Write English, New York, American Book Company

Thomson, A.J & Martinet, A.V (1961) A Practical English Grammar, Oxford, Oxford University Press]