Present Simple

Maria lives in a small town near the sea. Every morning she wakes up at six o’clock, brushes her teeth and makes a quick breakfast. She usually eats toast with butter and drinks a cup of tea. After breakfast Maria walks to the bus stop. The bus arrives at seven o’clock, so she never misses it. At work she is a receptionist at a travel agency. She answers the phone, greets the customers and writes down their appointments. The agency opens at nine and closes at five. Maria works from Monday to Friday, but on Saturdays she helps her mother in the garden. They plant vegetables, water the flowers and sometimes bake a cake together. On Sundays the family likes to relax. They watch a movie, read a book or go for a walk on the beach. Maria’s brother, Carlos, works in the city. He drives a car to his office and eats lunch at a nearby café. He always comes home at six in the evening. In the evenings Maria cooks dinner, cleans the kitchen and then watches TV. She likes simple shows about cooking or travel. Before going to bed she reads a few pages of a novel and then falls asleep. The present simple tense is used to talk about these regular activities, habits and facts. It tells us what people do every day, what they like, and what is true in general. For example, we say “She walks to the bus stop” because this is a habit, not a one‑time event. We also use it for facts such as “The bus arrives at seven o’clock”. The present simple is formed with the base form of the verb for I, you, we, they and with –s or –es for he, she, it. Negative sentences add do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t) before the verb, and questions start with do or does. Understanding the present simple helps learners describe their daily life clearly and accurately.

The present simple describes habits, routines, general truths and permanent situations. Use the base verb after I, you, we, they (e.g., I work, they play). Add –s or –es for third‑person singular (he works, she watches, it goes). For verbs ending in –y after a consonant, change –y to –ies (he carries). Negative sentences use do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t) + base verb (I don’t like, she doesn’t eat). Questions start with do/does followed by the subject and the base verb (Do you live here? Does he work today?). Time expressions such as always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day, on Mondays help show the frequency of actions. The present simple is also used for scheduled events (The train leaves at 9 am) and facts (Water boils at 100 °C). Remember to keep the verb form consistent with the subject and to add –s only for he, she, it.