Present simple tense

Present Simple (Subject + do/does)

Look at the picture.

Martina is a teacher, but now she is on the couch asleep. She is not teaching at school. (She is asleep.)

but       She teaches high school students. (She is a teacher.)

Teach(es)/read(s)/do(es) etc. is the present simple

I/we/you/they   teach/read/do etc.

He/she/it   teaches/reads/does etc.

We use the present simple to talk about things in general. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly (habits and routines), or that something is true in general (facts):

Police officers keep our place safe and secure.

We usually go shopping at weekends.

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

The bank opens at 8:30 in the morning.


Remember:

I play football.    but      He plays basketball.     

They teach Physics.     but        My mother teaches English.


We use do/does to make questions or negative sentences:

do      I/we/you/they    watch?

does   he/she/it     play?


I/we/you/they    don’t    drink

he/she/it   doesn’t     walk


I come from Brazil. Where do you come from?

They don’t go away very often.

What does this word mean? (not What means this word?)

Rice doesn’t grow in cold climates.


In the following examples, do is also the main verb (do you do/doesn’t do etc.):

A: ‘What do you do?’   
B:‘I work in a restaurant.’

My son is always so lazy. He doesn’t do anything to help.



We use the present simple to say how often we do things:

Students get up at 6 o’ clock every morning.

How often do you play football?

Jay doesn’t drink coffee very often.

Lenny usually goes away two or three times a month.



I promise/I apologize/ I suggest/ I advise/ I insist/ I agree/ I refuse

Sometimes we do things by saying something. For example, when you promise to do something, you can say ‘I promise…’; when you suggest something, you can say ‘I suggest…’:

I promise I won’t be late tomorrow. (not I’m promising)

‘What do you suggest I do?’   ‘I suggest that you…’

In the same way we say: I apologize…/I advise…/I insist…/I agree…/I refuse… etc.

I apologize for my mistakes.

I advise that you study hard.

I insist that they come along.

I agree that you teach him.

I refuse to answer the question.