Grammar 3-01 | High Beginner 3

Present Simple

Listen to four short conversations using the present simple tense.

Conversation #1

Man: What do you do?
Woman: I work at a tech company.
Man: Oh, what do you do there?
Woman: I design software.
Man: Do you like your job?
Woman: Yeah, I enjoy it.

Conversation #2

Man: Do you work here?
Woman: Yes, I do.
Man: Where do I pay my bill?
Woman: You pay it over there.
Man: Do I need to show ID?
Woman: I don’t think you do.

Conversation #3

Man: What do your parents do?
Woman: They both work in sales.
Man: Oh, what do they sell?
Woman: They both sell cars. They have a car dealership together.
Man: Do they like it?
Woman: Yes, but they work long hours.

Conversation #4

Man: Where do you live?
Woman: I live downtown with my family.
Man: Nice, do you live in an apartment or house?
Woman: I live in a house, but we need more space.
Man: Do you want to move?
Woman: Yes, we want to move to the countryside.

Verbs in Simple Present Tense (First Person)

We use the simple present to talk about actions we do again and again.

Point 1: WH questions use the following pattern.

Wh + do (does) + noun / pronoun + verb .. ?

  1. What do you do?
  2. Where do you live?
  3. How do you get to school?
  4. When do you exercise?
  5. Why do you want a pet?
Point 2: Affirmative statements use the following pattern.
  1. I work for a tech company.
  2. I live near the station.
  3. I take the bus.
  4. I play soccer every Monday night.
Point 3: Negative statements use the following pattern.
  1. I do not work from home.
  2. I do not live near my work.
  3. I don't drive to work.
  4. I don't exercise that much.

In spoken English we often say don't instead of do not.

Point 4: Yes/No questions use the following pattern.

Do (does) + noun / pronoun + verb ... ?

  1. Do you like tennis?
  2. Do you have a car?
  3. Do you cook a lot?
  4. Do you want a pet?
Point 5 You do not need to repeat the verb when you answer a Yes/No question.
  1. Do you like tennis?
  2. Yes, I do. (Yes, I like tennis.)
  3. No, I don't. (No, I don't like tennis)
  4. It depends. (Sometimes yes, and sometimes no)
Answer the following questions about the interview.