This document provides information about and examples of using the present simple active tense in English. It discusses how adverbs of frequency are typically placed in sentences and gives examples. Other common phrases used to indicate frequency, such as "once in a while" and "from time to time" are presented. The use of the present simple tense to describe events in books, films, and plays is explained. Finally, some examples are given of using stative verbs in situations where the present continuous would normally be used.

1. PRESENT SIMPLE ACTIVE

9. • People need food to survive.
• Plants die without water.
• It snows in winter.
• She works in a bank.
• I don’t like apples.
• She doesn’t have a job.
• Where do you live?
• Does he smoke?
• How often do they visit you?
• At the weekend, we usually
go to the cinema with our
friends.
• The train to Moscow leaves
at eleven.
• What time does the film
start?
• I won't go out until it stops
raining.
• I will call you when I come
home.

10. Adverbs of Frequency
We usually put these adverbs in the middle of the
sentence, between the subject and the verb:
o always;
o usually
o normally, generally (обычно, как правило)
o often, frequently (часто)
o sometimes
o occasionally (иногда, изредка, время от времени)
o seldom; rarely (редко)
o hardly ever (почти никогда)
o never

12. How often do you ….?
Here are some other expressions we can use to say 'how often'.
All of these longer phrases go at the beginning or the end of the
sentence but not in the middle.
 once in a while (иногда, изредка; время от времени): I go to
the cinema once in a while.
 from time to time: From time to time I visit my mother.
 I go to the cinema twice a week.
 She takes these tablets three times a day.
 I visit my parents once a month.
 I take a dance class on Wednesdays.
 She reads books every day.

14. SOME OTHER CASES
We use the simple present to talk about what
happens in books, plays, or films:
 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.

15. SOME OTHER CASES
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:
• This soup tastes great.
• You look fabulous.
• I think she is very pretty.
• I hate rude people.
• I promise I will help you.
• I see a bird on the tree.

17. SUMMARY