1. The barman is very kind

Paco travels to South Africa: Paco meets new people

Map

1.2 Paco is not like Mr. Scrooge

2. Paco is relaxing in the hotel's bar

3. Paco reads the quotations on the wall

4. Cowards die many times

5. Practice your English

6. Solved exercises

1. The barman is very kind

Listening activity

By ksaad. C. Commons

Paco is surprised. He can't stop thinking of how the barman answered his question. And he thinks:

The barman is very kind. Are all Africans as kind and polite as this man? I don't think so. Every person has his/her own personality and character. There are polite and impolite or even rude people; people who are sympathetic, sensitive, sensible, shy, and a long etcetera. I don't like impolite people nor garrulous. Am I a kind person? Well, I love helping people, which makes me be happy. I can make friends very easily. Andrés and I have been close friends for years. I am also a hard-working person, although I am not keen on languages. It's been hard until I've been able to speak and understand English (he smiles). Sonia is an excellent sister, she is also so kind... I wish all people in the world were like her...

Paco feels overwhelmed with his thoughts, but he feels really well and relaxed, he is looking forward to meeting more new people in Africa. He is eager to know people, customs, ways of life...

Read and listen to the text carefully. What is Paco doing?

When you want to talk about other people's personality or describe other people you use the Present Simple tense. However, this tense is not only used to describe people. It is also used to talk about likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests, and even scheduled events... At the same time, it is very important that you always bear in mind the following:

1. The word order of the English sentence is more fixed than in other languages as in Spanish. So we have:

Subject + (Adverb [of frequency]) + Verb + (Indirect Object) + (Direct Object) + (How) + (Where) + (When)

2. The Present Simple tense is formed with the bare infinitive (infinitive without to), but the third person singular needs suffix -(e)s.

E.g.: I love helping people

Paco feels overwhelmed with his thoughts (third person singular)

3. Except with modal and auxiliary verbs, we use the verb to do (does) to form negative statements and questions!!!

Watch this video to remember everything you must know about the Present Simple Tense. Take notes if necessary!

Further knowledge

If you want to improve your knowledge on the present simple tense, click here. And if you click here and here you will find easy exercises to get used to the tense and to the word order in English, respectively.

Surely, you will find the information about the present simple tense on this website really interesting and helpful.

By Jeff Kubina. C. Commons

Put the following sentences in the correct order.

1. sensitive / Paco / person / is / a / very

JXUwMDA4JXUwMDMxJXUwMDAyJXUwMDBj JXUwMDMxJXUwMDFh JXUwMDM5 JXUwMDJlJXUwMDEzJXUwMDE3JXUwMDBi

2. helps / usually / He / people / needy

JXUwMDEwJXUwMDJk

3. anything / about / Does / him / know / the barman?

JXUwMDFjJXUwMDJiJXUwMDBhJXUwMDE2 JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFjJXUwMDBk JXUwMDMzJXUwMDA1JXUwMDAxJXUwMDE4 JXUwMDMwJXUwMDAxJXUwMDA0 ?

4. live / all Africans / 1.25 US dollars / on less / than / Do?

JXUwMDFjJXUwMDJi JXUwMDM5JXUwMDBkJXUwMDAw JXUwMDM0JXUwMDA1JXUwMDFmJXUwMDEz JXUwMDM3JXUwMDAx JXUwMDM0JXUwMDA5JXUwMDE2JXUwMDAw JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFjJXUwMDA5JXUwMDBm JXUwMDY5JXUwMDFmJXUwMDFjJXUwMDA3 JXUwMDBkJXUwMDA2 ?

5. people / like / Paco / doesn't / rude and impolite

JXUwMDA4JXUwMDMxJXUwMDAyJXUwMDBj JXUwMDM0JXUwMDA1JXUwMDAyJXUwMDBl JXUwMDJhJXUwMDA3JXUwMDExJXUwMDAx JXUwMDM5JXUwMDBmJXUwMDBh

Writing activity

By Olivander. C. Commons

Imagine you have to introduce yourself to a group of people you are going to attend a course with. Write a short paragraph including information about your likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests, etc., and a brief description of your personality (use no less than 80 words).

Now, record it to practise oral English. Remember to use our friend, the robot, if you have any doubt about how to pronounce a word or phrase!

Curiosity

False friends!

Do you remember what false friends are? If you want to remember what they are and consist in, click here.

In the passage about Paco's thoughts after speaking to the barman, we can find several adjectives used to describe people which seem to mean a word to Spanish people's eyes. However, they mean a completely different thing. Can you guess?

Exactly! We are referring to sympathetic, sensitive and sensible. Have a look at the following chart:

English	Definition¹	Spanish	False friend (Eng. term)
sympathetic	feeling, showing, or expressing symphathy	= compasivo	≠ simpático (kind)
sensitive	having or displaying a quick and delicate appreciation of others' feelings	= sensible	≠ sensitivo (sensory)
sensible	(of a person) possessing or displaying prudence	= sensato	≠ sensible (sensitive)
garrulous	excessively talkative	= charlatán	≠ garrulo (loutish, boorish)

¹ From Judy Pearsall, ed. The New Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford: OUP, 1998.

We've had a quick look at the Present Simple Tense. Let's study some vocabulary to describe people and feelings in next section before remembering the Present Continuous tense!

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