3. Present Simple

	I, YOU, WE, THEY	HE, SHE, IT
Positive	We like music.	She likesmusic.
Negative	I don’t like music.	He doesn’tlike music.
Questions	Do you like music? Yes, I do. No, I don’t. What do you like?	Does she like music? Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t. What does she like?

We use the present simple tense to express:

- a situation which we see as permanent

E.g. He lives in Moscow with his parents.

- habitual, repeated actions;

E.g. My parents visit me on Saturdays.

- universal truths.

E.g. Twice two makes four.

The following adverbs may be signals of the present simple tense: usually, always, often, sometimes, never, generally, occasionally, seldom. With most verbs, we put them before the main verb.

E.g.: He doesn’t usually ring up early in the morning.

With the verb be, we put these adverbs after the verb.

E.g.: We are always on time.

We also use such phrases as every year (week, month, day, …), once (twice, three times, …) a year, on Sundays (Mondays, ...)with the present simple.

These phrases are usually put at the end or at the beginning of the sentence.

E.g.: They go to the swimming pool every week.

Once a year I go to the seaside.

Ex. 1. Put the verbs into the correct form.

1. My husband usually … on the computer every evening. (work).

2. I … breakfast at home (have).

3. They … to the country every week (go).

4. His sister always … him with his homework (help).

5. Jane … French very well (speak).

6. Mr. Brown often … to work by taxi. (go).

7. I … what he … (understand, to mean).

8. It often … in Moscow in winter. (snow).

9. Jim … to the radio in the morning. (listen).

10. She … opera and ballet (like).

Ex. 2. Make the sentences negative and interrogative (yes/no questions)..

1. They want to buy a car.

2. She likes to speak English to her friends.

3. He always sleeps with the window open.

4. I do a lot of travelling.

5. A lot of people come here to see the races.

6. Ann sometimes brings flowers when she comes home.

7. My parents watch the news in the evenings.

8. My sister starts work at 9 o’clock.

9. Mary usually goes to the cinema once a week.

10. She comes from France.

11. I like ice-cream.

12. We want to go to Italy for our holidays.

Ex. 3. Supply the following sentences with one of the given adverbs: usually, never, often, always, generally, sometimes, occasionally.

1. I am at work on weekdays.

2. She goes to the country alone.

3. My friend plays tennis on Sundays.

4. The weather is fine in autumn.

5. My mother goes shopping in the evening.

6. We meet at the University.

7. It snows in spring.

8. She works in the evening.

9. They see each other every weekend.

10. I cook a meal for my friends.

Ex. 4. Ask questions to which the given sentences are the answers:

1. My friends go abroad every year. Where … ? How often …?

2. His sister always walks with her children in the park. How often …?

Where …? Who … with?

3. I come to the University at 8 o’clock in the morning. Where…? When …?

4. We write tests once a month. What …? How often …?

5. He learns English to read books in the original. What language …? Why…?

6. His brother has got a new car. What…? What kind…?

7. He wants to buy a new bookcase. What…?

8. This computer costs a lot. How much … ?

9. I check my e-mail in the evening. What … ? When … ?

10. She goes to visit her cousin in the country every month. Where … ? How often … ? Why…?

Ex. 5. Translate the sentences into English:

1. Он знает два иностранных языка: английский и немецкий.

2. Я часто помогаю маме готовить обед.

3. Иногда она уходит из дома в 7 часов утра и возвращается в 7 часов вечера.

4. Где ты обычно обедаешь? – Я обычно обедаю дома, но два раза в месяц я обедаю в ресторане.

5. Каждое воскресенье он встречается с друзьями.

6. Откуда она родом? – Из Франции.

7. Зимой Джеймс обычно ходит в бассейн раз или два в месяц.

8. Почему вы всегда приходите поздно?

9. Когда она приезжает в Лондон, она никогда не останавливается в отеле.

10. Я хожу к стоматологу два раза в год.