Present Simple - simple present tense. Repeating English Tenses Common Repeating Action English

Time Present Simple denotes action in the present in the broad sense of the word. It is used to denote habitual, regularly repeated or constant actions, for example when we talk about someone's habits, daily routine, schedule, etc., i.e. Present Simple denotes actions that are currently taking place, but are not tied specifically to the moment of speech.

I live in London.
I live in London.

The meeting starts at 6 o"clock.
The meeting will begin at six o'clock.

Education Present Simple

Affirmative sentences:

Negative Suggestions:

English verb in tense form Present Simple almost always coincides with its initial, that is, form indicated in the dictionary, without a particle to. Only in the 3rd person singular do you need to add the ending -s:

I work - he work s

If the verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o, then the ending is added to it -es:

I wish - he wish es

To verbs on -y the ending is also added to the preceding consonant -es, A -y is replaced by -i-:

I try - he tr ies

If the verb ends in -y with a preceding vowel, then -y is saved and only the ending is added -s:

I play - he play s

In order to build interrogative sentence, you need to put an auxiliary verb before the subject. Time Present Simple is used without it, so in this case an auxiliary verb is added do(or does in 3 l. units h.):

Do you like rock?
Do you like rock?

Does he speak Spanish?
Does he speak Spanish?

IN negative sentences an auxiliary verb is also used do/does, but not before the subject, but before the verb. After it a negative particle is added not. Do/does And not often shortened to don't And doesn't respectively:

I don't like black coffee
I don't like black coffee.

She doesn't smoke.
She does not smoke.

Note:

Auxiliary do/does can also appear in affirmative sentences. Then the sentence becomes more expressive, the verb becomes emotionally emphasized:

I do want to help you.
I really want to help you.

Jane does know how to cook.
Jane really knows how to cook.

In such sentences the auxiliary verb is never reduced.

Cases of using the Present Simple

• Regular, repetitive actions:

I often go to the park.
I often go to the park.

They play every tennis weekend.
Every weekend they play tennis.

• Action in the present in the broad sense of the word (not necessarily at the moment of speech):

Jim studies French.
Jim is studying French.

We live in Boston.
We live in Boston.

• Well known facts:

The Earth is round.
The earth is round.

The Volga is the longest river in Europe.
The Volga is the longest river in Europe.

• Listing the sequence of actions:

We analyze what our clients may need, develop a new product, produce a sample, improve it and sell it.
We analyze what our customers may need, develop a new product, make a sample, refine it and sell it.

• Some cases of indicating the future tense (if a certain schedule or plan of action is meant, as well as in subordinate clauses of time and conditions):

The airplane takes off at 2.30 p.m.
The plane takes off at 14:30.

When you see a big green house, turn left.
When you see the big green house, turn left.

• Some cases of indicating the past tense (in newspaper headlines, when retelling stories):

Airplane crashes in Pakistan.
A plane crashed in Pakistan.

I met Lenny last week. He comes to me and says, “Hello, mister!”
Last week I met Lenny. He comes up to me and says: “Great, Mister!”

Tenses in English represent perhaps the greatest difficulty in understanding, remembering and applying. Today we give several recommendations that will make your life easier and allow you to master the tenses in the most effective way.

Let us immediately note that we are not considering the formation of tenses: as practice shows, this is not a problem for English language learners. It is quite easy to learn the patterns, but understanding the use of tenses is not at all easy. So let's get started...

• Understanding the names

There are, in principle, only three tenses in the English language - Present (present), Past (past) and Future (future). However, the situation is complicated by the fact that each named time can have four types. Those. The present tense has four types, the past and future also have four types. What types of tenses exist?

The first type of tenses is called Simple. Thus, there are Past Simple (past simple) and Future Simple (future simple).

The second type of tense is called Continuous (continued, long). Accordingly, the tenses can be (present continuous), Past Continuous (past continuous) and Future Continuous (future continuous).

The third type is called Perfect. Thus, there are (present perfect), Past Perfect (past perfect) and Future Perfect (future perfect).

The last type of tense combines the names of the previous two and is called Perfect Continuous. Accordingly, the tenses can be (present perfect continuous), Past Perfect Continuous (past perfect continuous) and Future Perfect Continuous (future perfect continuous).

As you can see, you need to remember, on the one hand, the names of tenses (Present, Past, Future), and on the other, their types (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous).

By the way, in many textbooks the first two types of tenses may be called differently. Instead of Simple you can find the term Indefinite, and instead of Continuous - Progressive. You should know that these terms are used interchangeably.

The name of a specific time consists of the name of the time itself and its type, for example: Present Simple, Past Continuous, etc.

• Understand and remember meanings

The next key point you need to remember is that each type of time has its own meaning. Next, we will analyze each type separately.

Remember the meaning of the form Simple - a) simple action, fact; b) regular, repeated action. Simple conveys its meaning to specific tenses. So, Present Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the present tense; b) regular, repeated action in the present tense. For example: “The earth revolves around the sun” is a fact, so when translating this sentence into English we will use the Present Simple. Another example: “This boy gets sick often” is a regular, repeated action, so when translating into English we will also use the Present Simple.

Past Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the past; b) regular, repeated action in the past. For example: “Moscow was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky” is a fact of the past, therefore, when translating this sentence into English, we will use the Past Simple. Another example: “As a child, I was often sick” is a regular, repeated action, so when translating into English we will also use the Past Simple.

Future Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the future; b) regular, repeated action in the future. For example: “Next year I will move to Germany” is a designation of the fact of the future, so we use the Future Simple. “He will visit you often” is a regular, repeated action, hence again Future Simple.

So, we've dealt with Simple, now let's move on to Continuous. Everything is much simpler here. Remember the most basic meaning - process. It is the meaning of the process that Continuous conveys to specific times.

Present Continuous denotes a process in the present. For example: “He is sleeping now” is a process in the present tense, so when translating into English we will resort to the Present Continuous.

Past Continuous denotes a process at a certain point in the past. For example: “Yesterday at six o’clock he was sleeping.”

Future Continuous denotes a process at a certain point in the future. For example: “Tomorrow at six o’clock he will be asleep.”

Now let's look at Perfect. Remember the key value of this type is the result. This meaning is conveyed to specific times.

Present Perfect denotes the result to date. For example: “I wrote a letter. I am free." The act of writing a letter itself is no longer completed, it is over, but by now the result remains from it - a letter ready to be sent.

Past Perfect denotes the result at a certain moment in the past. For example: “I wrote a letter in the evening.” In the evening, the act of writing a letter was no longer completed, it was over, but the result remained from it - a letter ready to be sent.

Future Perfect denotes a result at a certain point in the future. For example: “I will write a letter by evening.” In the evening, the act of writing a letter will no longer take place, it will be completed, but the result will remain - a letter ready to be sent.

And finally, let's look at the Perfect Continuous. Remember the main meaning - a process lasting a specified amount of time. This meaning will be transferred to specific times.

Thus, Present Perfect Continuous denotes a process that lasts a specific time and continues at the present moment. For example: “He has been sleeping for three hours.”

Past Perfect Continuous denotes a process that lasted a specified amount of time up to a certain point in the past. For example: “He had been asleep for three hours when you returned.” This sentence contains a moment of the past - your return. Until this moment, the process was taking place - he was sleeping. The process lasted the specified amount of time - three hours.

Future Perfect Continuous denotes a process that will last a certain amount of time at some point in the future. For example: “He will sleep for three hours before you return.”

To finally understand the tenses of the English language, we recommend watching a lecture on this topic (in Russian). This lecture discusses in detail the issue of formation and use of tenses of the active voice.

When composing a sentence in time ThePresentSimple (Indefinite) Tense the verb coincides with the infinitive form (without the particle to), with the exception of the 3rd person singular - in this case the ending is added to the verb -s (-es):

to run run— run s runs.

Ending -es added if the verb ends in -o,-s,-ss,-x,-ch,-sh:

to go go- go es coming to miss miss- miss es misses, to mix to mix- mix es mixes, to catch catch- catch es catches etc.

Verbs ending in -y with a preceding consonant in the 3rd person singular is changed -y on -i-+ -es:

to cry scream, cry-cr ies screams, crying.

If before -y there is a vowel, the general rule applies:

to pla y play—pla y s plays.

An auxiliary verb is used in interrogative and negative sentences do, and for the 3rd person singular - does. In negative sentences it is followed by a negation. not(short forms: do not = don"t, does not = doesn't). In interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject:

Do do you speak English? Do you speak English?

I don"t know this word. I do not know this word.

Since the form does contains the indicator of the 3rd person singular Present Simple, the main verb is used in the form of the infinitive a (without the particle to) and -s (-es) is no longer added:

Does does he speak German? Does he speak German?

He doesn't understand anything. He doesn't understand anything.

Brief affirmative answer to general question Present Simple:

Yes, I (we, you, they) do. Yes, he (she, it) does.Yes.

Brief negative answer to general question Present Simple:

No, I (we, you, they) don"t. No, he (she, it) doesn"t.No.

Verb to be no auxiliary verb required to do for the formation of interrogative and negative sentences.

When forming an interrogative sentence, the corresponding form of the verb to be (am/is/are) is placed first:

Am Am I wrong? I Not rights?

Is he ill? He is ill?

Are are you all right? WITH you All V okay?

In negative sentences after the corresponding form of the verb to be (am/is/are) is put in negation not(short forms: is not = isn't, are not = aren't):

He is not at home. He's not home.

They are not ready today. They are not ready today.

The general formula for the formation of the passive voice: to be (in the appropriate form) + participle II

Cases of use of The Present Simple (Indefinite) Tense

If you liked it, share it with your friends:

• Review of all English tenses
• Rules of use, time signals
• Examples of sentences with different English tenses

Let's remember the times we went through in previous lessons.

Present Simple

Let's start with Present Simple. Let us remind you that this is a regular repeated action, the verb in the 3rd person takes on the ending -s, -es. Auxiliary verbs - do, does:

Does he work every day?

Statement

He works every day.

Negation

He doesn't work every day.

Past Simple

Past Simple used to indicate an action that happened in the past at a specific time. Auxiliary did. Temporal markers are words yesterday, last week, last month, last year:

Did he work yesterday?

Statement

He worked yesterday.

Negation

He didn’t work yesterday.

Present Continuous

Present Continuous denotes an action happening now. Time markers for this time: now, at the moment:

Is he working now?

Statement

He is working now.

Negation

He is not working now.

Final table of tenses Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Continuous

Look again at how affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences are formed in the past tenses

Let's repeat the times we covered in previous lessons. Let's start with the Present Simple. Let us remind you that this is a regular, repeated action; the verb in the 3rd person takes on the ending -s/-es. Auxiliary verbs do/does. Listen to examples. Question: Does he work every day? Statement: He works every day. Denial: He doesn’t work every day.

Past Simple is used to indicate an action that happened in the past at a specific time. Auxiliary verb did. Time markers are the words yesterday, last week, last month, last year. Listen to examples. Question: Did he work yesterday? Statement: He worked yesterday. Denial: He didn’t work yesterday.

Present Continuous denotes an action happening now. Time markers for a given time: now, at the moment. Listen to examples. Question: Is he working now? Statement:He is working now. Denial: He is not working now.