A.
Study this example situation:
Alex is
a bus driver, but now he is in bed asleep. So: He is not driving a bus. (He is
asleep.) but He drives a bus. (He is a bus driver.)
Drive(s)/work(s)/do(es) etc. is the present simple:
I/we/you/they drive/work/do etc.
he/she/it drives/works/does etc.
B. We
use the present simple to talk about things in general. We are not thinking
only about now. We use it to say that something happens all the time or
repeatedly, or that something is true in general. It is not important whether
the action is happening at the time of speaking:
* Nurses
took after patients in hospitals.
* I
usually go away at weekends.
* The
earth goes round the sun.
Remember
that we say: he/she/it -s. Don't forget the s:
I work
... but He works ... They teach ... but My sister teaches ...
For
spelling (-s or -es), see Appendix 6.
C. We
use do/does to make questions and negative sentences:
do I/we/you/they
work?/come?/do?
does
he/she/it work?/come?/do?
I/we/you/they don't work/come/do
he/she/it doesn't work/come/do
* I come
from Canada. Where do you come from?
* 'Would
you like a cigarette?' 'No, thanks. I don't smoke.'
* What
does this word mean? (not 'What means this word?')
* Rice
doesn't grow in cold climates.
In the
following examples do is also the main verb:
* 'What
do you do?' (= What's your job?) 'I work in a shop.'
* He's
so lazy. He doesn't do anything to help me. (not 'He doesn't anything')
D. We
use the present simple when we say how often we do things:
* I get
up at 8 o'clock every morning. (not 'I'm getting')
* How
often do you go to the dentist? (not 'How often are you going?')
* Ann
doesn't drink tea very often.
* In
summer John usually plays tennis once or twice a week.
E. I
promise/I apologise etc.
Sometimes we do things by saying something. For example, when you
promise to do something, you can say 'I promise ...'; when you suggest
something, you can say J suggest ...'. We use the present simple (promise/suggest
etc.) in sentences like this:
* I
promise I won't be late. (not 'I'm promising')
* 'What
do you suggest I do?' 'I suggest that you ...'
In the
same way we say: I apologise .../I advise .../I insist .../I agree ... /I
refuse ... etc.
