SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

The simple present tense is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements. 

The simple present structure is as follows:

Subject/Pronoun + verb + Complement.

Look at the following examples:

The students have luch in the cafeteria.

I watch TV in the living room.

You live on hudson Road.

We want a cottage in a town near the lake.

When refering to the third person singular (he, she, it) the verb will add s, es, or ies.

He/She/It + verb s,es, ies + Complment.

Look at the following examples:

*The student has lunch in the cafeteria.

Marianne watches TV in the living room.

My brother likes to play in the park.

John studies History at school on weekends.

The endings s, es, and ies are only used in affirmative sentences and affirmative long answers.

To change a simple present statement to the negative form, to a question form, or to give long complete answers we need to use the auxiliaries Do or Does.

Do is used with the pronouns I, you, they, and we.

Does is used with the pronouns he, she, and it.

Verbs ending in ch, tch, sh, x, z, zz, s, ss, and o will add "es" when used in affirmative sentences and affirmative long answers.

My little sister marches like a soldier.

Susana watches movies on weekends with her brothers.

The teacher quizzes his students every Friday.

My grandmother kisses her grandchildren.

Robert goes to the park everyday.

Verbs ending in a final "y" with a consonant before it will change the "y" to and "i" and will add "es".

The baby cries at night. (cry)

Brenda is studies music at school. (study)

That boy bullies his classmates at school. (bully)

Be careful if your verb ends in a final "y" but with a vowel before it, you will just add "s" to the verb if the subject is he, she, or it.

My sister plays in the backyard everyday. (play)

My dad enjoys swimming in the ocean. (enjoy)

My mom buys her groceries in the supermarket. (buy)

Let's take a look to how Do and Does are used:

The students have lunch in the school's cafeteria

The students don't have lunch in the school's cafeteria.

Do the students have lich in the school's cafeteria?

Yes, the students have lunch in the school's cafeteria.

No, the students don't have lunch in the school's cafeteria.

Yes, they do.           No, they don't.

Notice that do/don't are only used with negative sentences, questions, negative long answers, and short answers.

My brother plays video games in the livingroom.

My broher doesn't play video games in the living room.

Does your brother play video games in the livingroom?

No, my brother doesn't play video games in the livingroom.

Yes, my brother plays video games in the livingroom.

Yes, he does.          No, he doesn't.

Notice that does/doesn't are only used with negative sentences, questions, negative long answers, and short answers.

COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

We use comparatives to compare one person, thing, action or event or group, with another of the same kind.

Superlative forms are used to compare somebody or something with the whole group it belongs to.

John is taller than his sister. (comparative)

John is the tallest student in his group. (superlative)

Cancun is more expensive than Puerto Vallarta. (comparative)

Mexico city is one of the most exciting cities in Mexico. (superlative)

All comparative and superlative forms are made from adjective forms.

For an adjective to become a comparative it needs to add either the prefix "more" or the suffix "-er".

For the adjective to become a superlative it needs to add the prefix "most" before it or the suffix "est" after it.

Soft    Softer    Softest

Cold    Colder    Coldest

Modern    More modern    Most modern

Expensive    More expensive    Most expensive

Adjectives of one syllable will add "er" in order to change them to the comparative form.

John is younger than Steve.

Yucatan is warmer than Guadalajara.

My cell phone is newer than yours.

Adjectives of one syllable will add "est" in order to change them to the  superlative form.

John is the youngest student in the class.

Mexicali is the warmest city in Mexico.

I want to buy the newest cell phone in the store.

One silable adjecives that end in a consonant-vowel-consonant will duplicate their last consonant and will add "er" to change them to the comparative form and "est" to change them to the superlative form.

Big        Bigger       Biggest

Thin        Thinner        Thinnest

Sad        Sadder      Saddest

Michoacan is a bigger state than Colima. (comparative)

chihuahua is the biggest state in Mexico. (superlative)

Steve is thinner than her sister Joan. (comparative)

Steve is the thinnest in his family. (superlative)

George is fatter than his cousin Bob. (comparative)

George is the fattest man in Monterrey. (superlative)

Two syllable adjectives ending in a final "y" with a consonant before it will change the "y" for an "i" and will add "er" for the comparative and "est" for the superlative forms.

Happy          Happier          Happiest.

Easy          Easier          Easiest.

Lucky          Luckier          Luckiest.

Samantha looks happier than her brother Bob. (comparative)

Marc is the happiest person I have ever met.

Some two syllable adjectives that end in an unstressed syllable /ə/, /l/, /r/ will add "er" or "est" endings when changed to the comparative forms.

Narrow          Narrower         Narrowest

Simple         Simpler          Simplest

Clever          Cleverer         Cleverest

                                                              Quiet            Quieter           Quiestest

Adjectives of two or more syllables will add "more" when used as comparatives and "most" when used as superlatives.

Interesting          more interesting          most interesting

Expensive          more expensive          most expensive

                                               Crowded             more crowded            most crowded

                                               Exciting              more exciting              most exciting

This book is more interesting than the book that I read last month.

This book is the most intersting in the bookstore.

Puerto Vallarta is more expensive than Guayabitos.

Los Cabos is the most expensive beach in Mexico.

If you want to increase the level of difference with a comparative you may use "much".

John is younger than my brother Marc. (John is 20 and Marc is 22)

John is much younger than Steve. (John is 20 and Steve 28)