1.3.1 Present simple



Forms: walk, walks, go, goes.


We make questions and negatives with do or does and the infinitive:



Positive statement They talk. Mary goes.
Negative statement They don't talk. Mary doesn't go.
Positive question Do they talk? Does Mary go?
Negative question Don't they talk? Doesn't Mary go?


We use the present simple for general facts, e.g.:



The sun rises in the east.
(El Sol sale por el este.)
Most dogs swim very well.
(La mayoría de los perros nada muy bien.)

We also use it for habits or regular actions in a time that includes present time, e.g.:



Margaret walks to work.
(Margaret va al trabajo caminando.)

Nowadays all young people go to school.
(Hoy día todos los jóvenes van a la escuela.)
Do you play chess?
(¿Juegas al ajedrez?)


The present simple is typically used with frequency adverbs, e.g.:


Mary always walks to work.
(Margaret sempre va al trabajo caminando.)
Nowadays Indians don't usually live in tents.
(Hoy día los indios no viven normalmente en tiendas.)
Do you often play chess?
(¿Juegas a menudo al ajedrez?)


As distinct from Spanish, we cannot use the present simple to express offers or suggestions, e.g.:


¿Te ayudo?
(Shall I help you?)
¿Vamos al cine?
(Shall we go to the cinema?)



For shall, see also future time.



We cannot use the present simple to express future actions, e.g.:


Ahora vuelvo.
(I'll be back straightaway.)



We cannot use the present simple to refer to the period of time from a point in the past up to the present, e.g.:


Hace mucho tiempo que no veo a María.
(It's a long time since I saw Mary.) Past simple.
Vivimos aquí desde hace tres años.
(We've lived here for three years.) Present perfect.