Jar simple present

SIMPLE PRESENTUses of the

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.

Examples:•I play tennis.•We visit our parents on weekends.•The bus leaves at 8 every morning.•She always forgets her purse.•He usually gets up early.•Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.

USE 2: Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.

Examples:•Cats like milk.•Birds do not like milk.•Pigs like mud.•California is in America.•California is not in the United Kingdom.•Windows are made of glass.•Windows are not made of wood.•New York is a large city.

USE 3: Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.

Examples:•The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.•The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.•When do we board the plane?•The party starts at 8 o'clock.•When does class begin tomorrow?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now.

Examples:•I am here now.•She is not here now.•He needs help right now.•He does not need help now.•He has his passport in his hand.•Do you have your passport with you?

USE 5: General truth.

We use the Present Simple when something is generally true:

Examples:•The sun rises in the east.•People need food.•It snows in winter.•The sky isn't green.•Plants die without water.•Two and two make four.

USE 6: Permanent Situations. We also need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent.

Examples:•Where do you live?•She works in a bank.•They love coffee.•She has three children.•I am married.•I don't like mushrooms.

USE 7: Frequent activities. The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use frequency adverbs  in this case.

Examples:•Do you smoke?•I play tennis every Tuesday.•We often go to the cinema.•She gets up at seven o'clock every day.•At the weekend, we usually go to the market.•How often do you study English?•I don't travel very often.

USE 8: Telling stories. We use the simple present to talk about what happens in books, plays, or films.

Examples:•The hero dies at the end of the film.•A young woman travels through Europe, where she meets different people, and finally falls in love.•In this book, an army invades Britain.•The main character is very pretty and works in a bookshop.

USE 9: Zero & First Conditionals. We use it in the first and the zero conditionals.

Examples:•If it rains, I won't come.•If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.•If you love her, let her go.•If you need money, find a job.•If you touch fire, you get burnt.•If you need my help, I’m here.•If it rains, you will get wet.•If it snows, schools will close.

USE 10: Timetables or Schedules. Strangely, we can use this tense to talk about the future. When you are discussing a timetable or a fixed plan, you can use this tense. Usually, the timetable is fixed by an organization, not by us.

Examples:•School begins at nine tomorrow.•Our train leaves at eleven.•What time does the film start?•The plane doesn't arrive at seven, it arrives at seven thirty.•When does the class finish?

USE 11: Future time clauses. We also use it to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as soon as' in a future sentence.

Examples:•I will call you when I have time. •I won't go out until it stops raining.•She'll come as soon as her babysitter arrives.•I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news.•I'll give you the book before you go.

USE 12: Stative Verbs & Now. We need to use this simple tense with stative verbs (verbs which we don't use in continuous tenses), in situations where we'd usually use the present continuous.

Examples:•This soup tastes great.•You look fabulous.•I think she is very pretty.•I am cold.•I promise I will help you.

USE 13: Habits, Customs & Routines. The next use is for habits, customs or routines. We often use frequency adverbs  in this case.

Examples:•I drink coffee every afternoon.•I play soccer every Sunday.•We usually watch TV every night.•She eats tamales with bread.•On vacations, I usually go to the beach.•I speak English at home.•I go to the gym every day.

USE 14: Profile. We usually use the simple present tense to talk about ourselves, our personal information.

Examples:•Hello. My name is Angel Bueno. I live in San Salvador. I’m 22 years old. I study at the university. I’m single, but I have a girlfriend. I don’t work. I love sports. I play soccer.

USE 15: Generalities of jobs and trades. We use the present simple to describe the generalities of jobs or trades.

Examples:•Engineers design buildings.•Secretaries answer the phone and take messages.•Chefs work at restaurants or hotels.•An architect designs spaces in a building.•A gardener plants flowers.•A nurse assists a doctor.•A teacher works at a school.