Although it is much more fun to practise English through practical activities of real life, grammar exercises are also important.
Here I have selected some of them for you to practise after reading a short review on the topic.
You may want to do the exercises and send them to me by mail in order to be corrected.
Feel free to ask questions or doubts.
The present simple is formed with a subject (I, Paul, the students, etc.) and a main verb (eat, read, drink, etc.).
In affirmative sentences, we add to the main verb the ending -s in the third person singular (he, she, it).
Verbs ending in -ss, -ch, -sh, -x, -o take the ending -es.
Examples: kiss-kisses touch-touches mix-mixes
If a verb ends in -y preceded by a consonant, the -y is replaced by the ending -ies
Examples: tidy-tidies study-studies cry-cries
But if the -y is preceded by a vowel, we add -s only.
Examples: buy-buys play-plays enjoy-enjoys
Examples: I work in a bank
She works in a bookshop
In order to form a negation, we use does not (doesn´t) before the main verb of the third person singular and do not (don´t) before the main verb of the other persons.
Examples: I don´t eat fish.
He doesn´t eat fish.
In a negation, the main verb does not end in -s in the tird person singular.
In a question, we use the auxiliary verb do for the persons I, you, we, they, and does for the third person singular (he, she and it) at the beginning of the sentence before the subject.
Example: Do you speak French?
Does she work in a bank?
In a question, the main verb does not end in -s, in the third person singular.
We use the present simple in order to describe:
- something which happens often, a habit we have
Example: We usually go to the park after school.
- permanent situations:
Example: He lives in London
- general truths or natural laws:
Example: The Earth goes round the Sun.
- programmes (i.e.: cinema, theatre programmes) or travel schedules/timetables/services (i.e. flight schedules, rail timetables, bus services).
Example: The film starts at seven o ´clock.
With the present simple we use:
- Adverbs of frequency in order to state how often something happens. The adverbs of frequency are always used before the main verb.
Examples: He never tidies his room.
Does she always get up at seven o ´clock?
- Time phrases such as: on Mondays, on Tuesdays, every month, every weekend, once a week, twice a year.
Verb “To Be”:
I am a student (I´m)
He is a teacher (He´s)
She is a journalist (She´s)
It is a book (It´s)
We are mechanics (We´re)
You are pilots (You´re)
They are policemen (They´re)
1) Complete with the verb “To Be”
a. It _________ cold today
b. I __________ at home now
c. They _________ korean
d. There _______ a pen on the desk
e. My name ________ Nikita
f. We ___________ from Ukraine
g. That __________ right
h. I _________ Ok, thanks
i. Clara and Steve _________ married
j. She __________ an English teacher
2) Chose the correct word – pay attention to the rules above.
a. I ____________ in a bank (work)
b. She __________ in Florida (live)
c. It _________ almost everyday in Manchester (rain)
d. We __________ to Spain every summer (fly)
e. My mother __________ eggs for breakfast every morning (fry)
C) Complete with the present simple.
Mary and I _________ (work) in the same office, but we´re completely different. She _______ (like) coffee, but I ________ (tea). She _________ (wash) her car every weekend, but I never ________ (clean) mine. She ______ (smile) all the time at work, but I __________ (feel) miserable. I ___________ (complain) about the boss all the time, but Mary _______ (think) the boss is a nice person. When I ___________ (finish) work I like to drink beer with my friends, but Mary ______________ (study) at night school.
The boss __________ (think) Mary is perfect, but she ___________ (drive) me nuts!