Once upon a time in a small village called Verboville, lived a young man named Carlos. Carlos loved to talk about his daily life. Every morning, he would say, "I eat breakfast," "I go to work," and "I read a book." He didn’t realize it, but Carlos was a master of the Present Simple tense. However, one day, his friend María noticed something strange.

"Carlos," María said, "you always say, ‘I eat,’ ‘I go,’ ‘I read.’ Why don’t you say, ‘I am eating,’ ‘I am going,’ or ‘I am reading’?"

Carlos scratched his head. "I don’t know, María. I just say it like that because it’s what I do every day."

María smiled. "Exactly! The Present Simple is for things you do regularly or facts that are always true. For example, you say, ‘The sun rises in the east’ because it’s a fact. Or ‘I eat breakfast’ because it’s something you do every day."

"But María," Carlos said, "sometimes I get confused. When do I use the Present Simple, and when do I use something else?"

María thought for a moment. "Think of the Present Simple as your everyday routine. You use it for habits, routines, and facts. For example, ‘Luisa drinks coffee every morning,’ or ‘They play soccer on Sundays.’ It’s also used for schedules, like ‘The bus leaves at 8 AM.’"

Carlos nodded, understanding a bit more. "So, if I talk about something I do often, I use the Present Simple?"

"Exactly!" María replied. "But remember, it's not always as simple as it sounds. The Present Simple can sometimes trick you. For example, we say ‘He goes’ instead of ‘He go.’ You have to add an ‘-s’ or ‘-es’ for he, she, and it."

Carlos laughed, "So, it’s not so simple after all!"

María laughed too. "Maybe not, but with practice, it becomes easy. Just remember, use the Present Simple for what you do every day, what is always true, or what is planned in the future, like schedules."

Carlos smiled, feeling more confident. "Thanks, María! I think I can handle the ‘not so simple’ Present Simple now."

The Lesson:

The Present Simple tense might seem tricky at first, but it’s all about describing what happens regularly, habits, routines, and facts. Don’t let the name fool you—it’s not always simple, but with practice, it becomes a part of your daily speech.

Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. Why does Carlos use the Present Simple tense without realizing it?
2. What does María explain about the use of the Present Simple tense?
3. When should you add an ‘-s’ or ‘-es’ to the verb in the Present Simple tense?
4. How does María describe the Present Simple tense?
5. What is Carlos's reaction after learning about the Present Simple?

Open-Ended Questions:

1. Can you think of some sentences you use daily that are in the Present Simple tense?
2. Have you ever been confused about when to use the Present Simple? How did you solve it?
3. What other examples of habits or routines can you describe using the Present Simple tense?

Vocabulary and Expressions List:

1. Present Simple - A tense used to describe habits, routines, facts, or scheduled events.
2. Routine - A sequence of actions regularly followed.
3. Fact - Something that is always true.
4. Habit - A regular practice or behavior.
5. Regularly - Occurring at the same time each day, week, etc.
6. Schedule - A plan that gives expected times for different things to happen.
7. Confused - Unable to understand or think clearly.
8. Scratch your head - To think hard about something.
9. Handle - To manage or deal with something.
10. Tricky - Complicated, difficult, or requiring careful attention.