Grammar Reference

1.1 ■ Present simple affirmative and negative

Affirmative
I We You They	watch TV	every evening.
He She It	watches TV
Negative
I We You They	don't (= do not) watch TV	every evening.
He She It	doesn't (= does not) watch TV

Spelling rules: third person singular

• Most verbs: add -s
• Verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -o, -x: add -es
• Verbs ending in consonant + -y: change -y to -ies
• The verb to have: change have to has

Negative

We make the negative form with do and does + n't (= not) + verb. We don't add -s to the verb.

Use

We use the present simple to talk about:

• habits and everyday routines. We often use time expressions such as every day, all the time, in the morning, in summer, on Sundays, at weekends etc.

I get up at six o'clock every morning.

Mikhail doesn't play football on Saturdays.

• facts and general truths.

The temperature changes a lot outside the space station.

The President of the USA lives in the White House.

• states. Some verbs that describe states are believe, hate, know, like, love, need, prefer, understand, want.

I don't like Spanish food.

Sarah knows my grandmother.

1.2 ■ Present simple questions and short answers

Yes / No questions and short answers
Do	I / we / you / they	teach English?	Yes, I do. No, I don't.
Does	he / she / it		Yes, he does. No, he doesn't.

Yes / no questions

• Yes / no questions always expect the answer yes or no.
• We form yes / no questions in the present simple with Do / Does + subject + verb.

NOTE: We always put a question mark (?) at the end of a question.

Short answers

• We make short answers with Yes + subject + do / does or No + subject + don't / doesn't.

1.3 ■ Wh- question words

Wh- questions ask for specific information.

Word Where What When Who How old How many

Information places things time people age number