SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
(Habits, routines and general information)
Read the story:
Steve and Margaret and their kids Charlie and Lisa get up at 7 every day. They have breakfast
together at 8 am, and then they get ready for their activities.
Steve gets to his office at 9 every day. He stays there all morning. He doesn’t go home for lunch,
so he has lunch at a restaurant near his office. He returns to work after lunch. He leaves the office
at 7 pm.
Margaret doesn’t work in an office; she works in the house. She helps the kids do homework
every day. She likes classical music. She plays her favorite CD every day
Charlie and Lisa normally get home at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. They like to watch TV after
school. Lisa likes ballet. She takes ballet lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 6 pm.
GRAMMAR PRESENTATION 1 [routines and general info. 3rd person affirmative]
ROUTINES GENERAL INFORMATION
Steve gets to his office at 9 every day Margaret likes classical music
Sub V+ S Time Exp. Sub V+ S
The name of this structure is the “Simple Present” it
We use the simple present structure to expresses habits, routines and general information.
This is the affirmative form of the simple present.
When the subjects in the sentences are He (Steve) or She (Margaret) the characteristic with the
verbs is this: Verb + “s”. Except for “have” it forms like this: has.
Observe that we use time expressions only for routines, not for general information.
TIME EXPRESSION
On Mondays At 10 am Every Friday
On Saturdays At 5 o’clock Every week
At noon, At night Every month
In the morning From Monday to Friday
In the afternoon From 9 am to 5 pm
In the evening
1
GRAMMAR PRESENTATION 2 (Affirmative form - other persons)
I
You like Pop music
We Verb
They
Sub
This is the simple present tense, it expresses: habits, routines and general information.
The affirmative form for the subjects I, you, we, and they, the “s” is not necessary in the
sentences?
LET’S PRACTICE!
ACTIVITY 1
Read the text. Then complete the following sentences.
My Family
My name is Ricky. I’m 12 years old. I have a small family; I only have one brother and one
sister. My brother goes to the university, but my sister doesn’t go to the university. She goes to
high school because she is only seventeen.
It is very hot in the summer in my city. My brother and I like to go swimming. We don’t have a
swimming pool, but our neighbors have one, so we swim there. My brother swims very well, but
my sister doesn’t swim well.
In the winter, it snows every day. I like to go skiing. My brother and my sister don’t like to ski;
they like to stay home and read a book or watch TV.
Now, check your understanding. Follow the example.
1. His sister doesn’t go to the university; she goes to high school.
2. They don’t have a swimming pool, but their neighbors have one.
3. His brother swims well, but his sister doesn’t swim well.
4. His brother and sister don’t like to ski; they like to stay home and read a
book or watch TV.
2
ACTIVITY 2
Complete the following dialog with the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Follow
the example.
This is Paul. He lives (live) in New York. He is a student; he wants (want) to study international
business at the university. Paul likes (like) to listen to music. He has (have) about 50 CD´s. He
also plays (play) the guitar and he sings (sing) in a rock band. Paul has (have) a girlfriend. They
do (do) exercise on weekends. They go (go) to concerts in summer
ACTIVITY 3
Complete the sentences with the Simple Present of the verbs in parentheses. Follow the
example.
1. Peter and his friends study French from Monday to Friday. (study)
2. Elephants eat leaves and grass. (eat)
3. David's father works in a hospital. (work)
4. The bank opens at 9.30 and closes at 4.30. (close)
5. Tom and Jim play football every day after school. (play)
6. Mr Jones is an accountant. He works at a local bank. (work)
7. Our classes start at 9.00 and finish at 3.30. (start / finish)
8. My best friend lives in Japan. (live)
9. Mary and her brother listen to music every Sunday morning. (listen)
10. John cleans his room every day. (clean)
ACTIVITY 4
Read the paragraph below. Then write a similar paragraph about a family member and
yourself.
My sister Yolanda and I are really different. She likes classical music and I like pop. I study and
she works. I study in the mornings and she works in the afternoons. I have an old bike and she
has a new car. I like to go to parties and she likes to read at home. I play the guitar, but she
plays the piano. She speaks English and German, and I speak only Spanish. She travels to the
beach with her friends every summer. I prefer to go camping with my friends. She likes romantic
movies, but I like action movies.
3
My friend Ely and I are very different. She likes to use wear tight clothes and I prefer baggy
clothes. She likes reggae music and I like electronic music. Ely studies make up in the afternoon
and I prefer to listen music in park. I’m from Apan, Hidalgo where is so cool and Ely is from
Tabasco, it’s very hot. Ely cooks a delicious cake and I prefer to cook spicy food.
But when we are together: we like to speak about the things are different in place of birth; like
food, weather, drinks and culture.
