Lesson 27 · Stage 3: Plans, requests & comparing
Present simple for timetables
BeginnerForm & use
The bus leaves at 8. The class starts on Monday — fixed times and schedules in the future
1.Form
Use the normal present simple — base verb / verb + -s, with do / does in questions and negatives — but for a time or date in the future.
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Affirmative | The train leaves at 7:40 tomorrow morning. |
| Negative | The shop doesn't open until ten tomorrow. |
| Question | What time does the film start? |
| Short answer | Does the course start in May? — Yes, it does. |
Learners often drop the -s because the sentence is about the future. A singular subject still takes -s: The bus leaves, the concert starts. After does, the verb goes back to the base form: What time does it start?
2.When to use it
1. Transport times
Our flight leaves at 6:15, so we need a taxi at four.
What time does the next bus to Hoi An leave?
2. Events and opening times — film times, opening and closing times, match schedules
The match starts at 7:30 on Saturday.
Hurry up! The supermarket closes in ten minutes.
3. A person's fixed schedule — when it's set like a timetable, by a school, a company and so on
I start my new job next Monday.
When does your English course finish?
4. Dates and the calendar
Tomorrow is Friday — finally!
My birthday is on a Sunday this year.
3.Timetable or personal arrangement?
The present simple is for official schedules set by someone else (a bus company, a cinema, a school) — fixed and the same for everyone. For arrangements you make yourself, use the present continuous (see the lesson “Present continuous for future plans”).
| Present simple — timetable | Present continuous — your arrangement |
|---|---|
| The film starts at 8. | We're seeing the film with Nam at 8. |
| What time does the train arrive? | What time are you arriving? |
| The meeting is at 9 tomorrow. | I'm meeting the new manager at 9 tomorrow. |
For appointments, lessons, exams or interviews, you can also use have / have got + noun:
I have a job interview on Thursday.
We've got an English test next week.
Using will for transport times isn't wrong (The train will leave at 7:40), but it sounds like a station announcement. In everyday talk, people use the present simple: The train leaves at 7:40.
4.Common mistakes
The concert start at 8 p.m. tomorrow.The concert starts at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Singular subject → add -s.
What time does the bank opens tomorrow?What time does the bank open tomorrow?
Base form after does.
When does start the class?When does the class start?
Word order: does + subject + verb.
The train is leaving at 7:40 every evening.The train leaves at 7:40 every evening.
A regular timetable → present simple.
I go to a wedding next Saturday.I'm going to a wedding next Saturday.
A personal arrangement → present continuous.
Examples
- Hurry up! The film starts at 8, and it's 7:45 now.
- The museum closes at 5 p.m. on weekdays, so let's go early tomorrow.
- I can't come to class tomorrow. I am visiting my grandparents in Nam Dinh.
- What time does the train to Hue leave tomorrow?
