This document provides information about the simple present tense in English. It discusses the forms of the verb "to be" in statements, questions, and contractions. It also covers the simple present tense with other verbs like work, chat in affirmative and negative statements and questions. Finally, it reviews question words like who, what, when, where, why, how, how much/many and provides examples of their use in questions with the simple present tense.

1. SIMPLE PRESENT
N. Valdelomar

2. Simple Present Tense
SIMPLE PRESENT
FORM
VERB BE IN STATEMENTS
Affirmative Statements Negative Statements
Full form
(formal)
Contracted
form (informal)
Full form
(formal)
Contracted form
(informal)
I am I’m I am not I’m not
he
she
it
is
he’s
she’s
it’s
he
she
it
is not
he’s not or he isn’t
she’s not or she isn’t
it’s not or it isn’t
we
you
they
are
we’re
you’re
they’re
we
you
they
are not
we’re not or we aren’t
you’re not or you aren’t
they’re not or they aren’t

3. VERB BE IN QUESTIONS
Yes/No Questions
Affirmative Questions Affirmative
Answers
Negative Answers
Am I early?
Is she/he/it popular?
Are you/we online?
Are they updated?
Yes, you are.
Yes, she/he/it is.
Yes, you/we are.
Yes, they are.
No, you’re not.
No, she’s/he’s/it’s not.
No, you’re/we’re not.
No, they’re not.
No, you aren’t.
No, she/he/it isn’t.
No, you/we aren’t.
No, they aren’t.
Negative Questions Affirmative
Answers
Negative Answers
Aren’t you early?
Isn’t that woman a
blogger?
Aren’t we late?
Aren’t they late?
Yes, I am.
Yes, she is.
Yes, we are.
Yes, they are.
No, I’m not.
No, she’s not.
No, we’re not.
No, they’re not.
̶
No, she isn’t.
No, we aren’t.
No, they aren’t.
Notes: Contractions are not used in affirmative short answers. They are used in
negative short answers.

4. THE SIMPLE PRESENT WITH OTHER VERBS
Affirmative Statements Negative Statements
subject verb + (-s/-es) subject do/does + not verb (base form)
I work. I do not / don’t
work.He/she/it works. He/she/it does not / doesn’t
We/you/they work. We/you/they do not / don’t
Yes/No Questions Short Answers
Do/does
(auxiliary)
subject verb
Affirmative Negative
Yes, subject + auxiliary No, subject + auxiliary + not
Do I
chat? Yes,
I do.
No,
I don’t / do not.
Does he / she / it he/she/it does. he/she/it doesn’t / does
not.
Do we / you / they we/you/they do. we/you/they don’t / do
not.
The Simple Present
Affirmative statements can use do or does but only for emphasis. You’re wrong. I do like her.

5. INFORMATION QUESTIONS: REVIEW OF QUESTION WORDS
Question Word Sample Questions Possible Answers Notes
Who Who are your professors?
Who is the programmer?
Who designs the website?
Mr. Angulo and Mrs. Rojas.
Mr. Carlos Soto.
Karen and Josh.
Who refers to people.
Who can be the subject of a question.
Who is usually followed by a singular verb.
Whom Whom do you call when in need?
Whom does he love?
I call the technician. (the
technician=him)
He loves Emily. (Emily=her)
Who or whom is also used as an object.
Whom is used only in formal questions.
Who is used in informal speech.
What What do you need?
What is the topic of this unit?
What does he do for a living?
A good Internet connection.
Social networking.
He is a web programmer.
What refers to things.
What can be the subject of a question.
What can also be the object.
Where Where is the Internet cafe?
Where do you go on Saturdays?
A block from here.
To the computer lab.
Where is used to ask about places and locations.
When When are our papers due?
When do you update your blog?
On Wednesday.
On Mondays.
When is used to ask questions about time.
Why Why are you late?
Why does he read Reddit?
Because of the heavy traffic.
Because it is entertaining.
Why is used to ask questions about
reasons.
Which Which color do you like better? Red or blue? I like blue better.
Which is used when there is a restricted range of answers.
How How is the Internet connection?
How are you?
How do you send an email?
Very slow.
Pretty good.
Just click on send.
How can refer to a degree (of
something).
How can refer to a state or condition (for example, health).
How can refer to a way or method of doing something.
How often How often do you check your email? Every day. How often is used to ask about
frequency.

6. REVIEW OF QUESTION WORDS
How
much /
how
many
How much time do
you spend
online?
How many websites
do you visit
every day?
About two
hours.
4 or 5.
How much and how
many are used to ask
about quantities.
How much is used
with uncountable
nouns.
How many is used
with countable
nouns.
Note: Contractions for question words + be can be used in informal speech: who is=who’s, where is=where’s,
what is=what’s, when is=when’s, why is=why’s, how is=how’s

7. THE SIMPLE PRESENT
Wh- word do/does subject verb complements
Why do you go online daily?
Where does she check her email?
What do the men think about it?
Who works late?
What happens now?

8. INFORMATION TAKEN FROM:
PAVLIK,C.(2012).GRAMMARSENSE1(2NDED.). NY:OXFORD.
PAVLIK,C.(2012).GRAMMARSENSE2(2NDED.). NY:OXFORD.
PAVLIK,C.(2012).GRAMMARSENSE3(2NDED.). NY:OXFORD.
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