Simple PresentTense

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

• The SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE is used to express:

1- Habitual actions in the present:a) I go to school every day.b) My father works at a bank.

c) Classes in CEF 16 start at 13:15.d) Isabella always watches tv.

2- Universal truths and future planned actions:

a) Birds fly.b) The train leaves in ten minutes.c) Babies cry.d) Parallel lines never cross.

AFFIRMATIVE FORM

• In the SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE we only need to take the TO and use the verb in its normal form. Let’s conjugate the verb TO WALK.

I walk – Eu andoYou walk – Você andaWe walk – Nós andamosYou walk – Vocês andamThey walk – Eles/Elas andam

• In the 3rd person singular, we need to flex the verb:

He walks – Ele andaShe walks – Ela andaIt walks – Ele/Ela anda.

FLEXING THE VERB IN THE 3rd PERSON SINGULAR

1- Add ES when the verb ends with ss, sh, ch, x, z and o. Examples:

TO KISS - BEIJARHe kisses – Ele beijaShe kisses – Ela beijaIt kisses – Ele/Ela beija

TO WATCH - ASSISTIRHe watches – Ele assisteShe Watches – Ela assisteIt watches – Ele/Ela assiste

TO GO - IRHe goes – Ele vaiShe goes – Ela vaiIt goes – Ele/Ela vai

2- When the verb ends with consonant + Y, take the Y and add IES. Examples:

TO STUDY – ESTUDAR

He studies – Ele estudaShe studies – Ela estudaIt studies – Ele/Ela estuda

TO CRY - CHORAR

He cries – Ele choraShe cries – Ela choraIt cries – Ele/Ela chora

3- Verbs with any other terminations, including vowel + y, add only S. Examples:

TO DANCE – DANÇAR

He dances – Ele dançaShe dances – Ela dança It dances – Ele/Ela dança

TO STAY - FICAR

He stays – Ele ficaShe stays – Ela ficaIt stays – Ele/Ela fica

IMPORTANT!!!

• TO BE, TO HAVE and THERE TO BE don’t follow the rule described above. They have different ways to do the SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE.

One last important information

• The SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE always come followed by FREQUENCY ADVERBS.

Examples:always – sempreevery day – todos os diasevery week – toda semanaoften – frequentemente never – nunca

sometimes – às vezesusually – normalmenteonce a day – uma vez ao diaseldom – raramente rarely – raramente twice a week – duas vezes por semanaevery year – todos os anosat night – à noitein the morning – pela manhã