Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

S + Verb / Verb (e)s (IIIrd

person singular)

S + do not / dont + Verb

S + does not / doesnt + Verb
(IIIrd person singular)

Do + S + Verb?
Does + S + Verb? (IIIrd person
singular)

-es is added to verbs ending in: -x; -s; -z; -ch; -sh; -o; consonant+y (y becomes I):
I wash she washes; I go she goes
-es is read:

- iz after: /s/; //; /t/; /d/: kisses; washes; teaches.

-z after consonant+y: tries; cries.

USE:
It is used:
- for permanent situations or states:
Mary works in a supermarket.
- for general truths and laws of nature:
Water boils at 100C.
- for repeated/habitual actions (especially with adverbs of frequency: often, usually, seldom,
rarely, etc.):
He always does his homework. (always means every day)
- for reviews/sport commentaries/narrations:
The goal-keeper misses the ball and one more goal is scored.
- for timetables/programmes(future meaning):
The conference starts at 9 a.m.
- in exclamatory sentences:
Here comes the bride!

TIME EXPRESSIONS:
every day/week/month/year; once/twice a day/week/month/year; number + times + a
day/week/month/year (three times a year); in the morning/evening/afternoon
Adverbs of frequency: always, often, usually, seldom, never, rarely;
sometimes;frequently; occasionally; etc.
POSITION OF THE ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY:
- If the sentence has one verb in it (e.g. no auxiliary verb) we usually put the adverb in the middle of
the sentence, i.e. after the subject and before the verb:
Subject

Adverb

Verb

Jane

usually

goes

to work by bus

They

often

have to wait

or the bus.

- The adverb usually comes after the verb "be":

Subject
Adverb
Jane

Verb

is

often

late

This is not the case if we put the adverb at the beginning or end of the sentence for emphasis. This
rule also does not apply to short answers:
Speaker 1: Is she usually on time?
Speaker 1: Tell her not to be late.
Speaker 2: Yes, she usually is.

Speaker 1: She never is.

- If the sentence has more than one verb in it (e.g. auxiliary verb) we usually put the adverb after the
first part of the verb:
Subject
Verb 1
Adverb
Verb 2
Mary

can

never

remember

Jane

doesn't

usually

smoke.

They

have

often

asked

what to do.
about the project.

- For emphasis we can put the adverb at the beginning or end of the sentence:
Adverb
Subject
Verb
Sometimes

we

go

to school by bus.

Exceptions:
"Always" can't go at the beginning or end of the sentence.
"Never", "seldom", "rarely" can't go at the end of a sentence. They only go at the beginning of a
sentence in "polemic statements". Then they have to be followed by the word order for questions:
Never has there been a better time to overcome our fears.
Rarely do we have an opportunity like this to attain to such an interesting workshop.
Seldom had the orchestra given a worse performance.
- When using adverbs of frequency in the question form, put the adverb before the main verb.

Auxiliary verb

Subject

Adverb

Verb

Does

he

often

go

to the cinema

Exceptions:
"Never", "seldom", "rarely" and other negative adverbs of frequency are not usually used in the
negative form.