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In the previous class we explained the simple present tense using the verb to be. Now, we are going to study using other different verbs like, for example, go, play, visit, cook, run, wake up, etc.
Using the present simple tense in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences
The use of the present simple tense has different forms depending on whether we are talking about affirmative, negative or interrogative sentences.
Affirmative sentences with different verbs.
Grammatical structure:
- I/You/We/They + verb + Complement.
- He/She/It + Verb + s/es/ies + Complement
Examples of affirmative sentences:
- I watch TV.
- You watch TV.
- He watches TV.
- She watches TV.
- You watch TV.
- We watch TV.
- They watch TV.
When it comes to the pronouns he, she, it, a letter or a group of letters(s, es, ies) is added to the verb, for example:
-
I play soccer.
Sheplays soccer.
-
You listen to music.
He listens to music.
-
We watch TV.
Shewatches TV.
-
They study English.
Hestudies English.
Important: This situation only occurs in affirmative sentences. To know which letters to add, there are the following rules:
- To most verbs only the letter "s" is added, for example:
-
Read - Reads
-
Run - Runs
-
Cook - Cooks
-
Love - Loves
- When the verb ends in the consonant "y", the letter "y" is changed to "ies", for example:
-
Try - Tries
-
Carry - Carries
-
Study - Studies
- When the verb ends in the consonants "s", "z", "ch" or "x", "es" is added, for example:
-
Miss - misses
-
Buzz - Buzzes
-
Catch - Catches
-
Fix - Fixes
- There are some exceptions to these rules, for example:
-
Go - goes
-
Do - does
-
Have - has
Let's practice:
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We live in Colombia.
He/shelives in Colombia
-
I work at Platzi.
He/sheworks at Platzi.
-
They play the guitar.
He/sheplays the guitar.
-
You eat pizza.
He/she eats pizza.
Negative sentences with different verbs
Grammatical structure:
- I/You/We/They + do not / don't + Verb + Complement.
- He/She/It + does not / doesn't + Verb + Complement
In negative sentences in the simple present tense, the auxiliary verb Do / Does is used.
Examples of negative sentences:
-
She plays soccer.
She doesn't play soccer (notice that the verb returns to its original form without the letter s at the end).
-
I listen to music.
I don't listen to music.
-
He cooks very well.
He doesn't cook very well.
-
They write letters.
They don't write letters.
Interrogative sentences with different verbs
Grammatical structure:
- Do + I/You/We/They+ Verb + Complement + ?
- Does + He/She/It + Verb + Complement + ?
In interrogative sentences in the present simple tense, the auxiliary verb do/does is placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Examples of interrogative sentences:
-
Do you speak English?
Yes, I do.
No, I don't speak English.
-
Do you walk to the park?
Yes, I do.
No, I don't.
-
Does he reads a lot?
Yes, he does.
No, he doesn't read a lot.
-
Do they like sushi?
Yes, they do.
No, they don't.
In conclusion, the three modalities of the present simple tense are:
Affirmative: I watch TV
Negative: I don't watch TV
Interrogative: Do you watch TV?
Contribution created with contributions from: Avilio Muñoz Vilchez
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