Simple Present

FORM

[VERB] + s/es in third person

Examples:

 You speak English.
 Do you speak English?
 You do not speak English.

Complete List of Simple Present Forms

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or
usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or
something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets
or usually does not do.

Examples:

 I play tennis.
 She does not play tennis.
 Does he play tennis?
 The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
 The train does not leave at 9 AM.
 When does the train usually leave?
 She always forgets her purse.
 He never forgets his wallet.
 Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
 Does the Sun circle the Earth?

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was
true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the
speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about
people or things.

Examples:

 Cats like milk.
 Birds do not like milk.
 Do pigs like milk?
 California is in America.
 California is not in the United Kingdom.
 Windows are made of glass.
 Windows are not made of wood.
 New York is a small city. IT IS NOT IMPORTANT THAT THIS FACT IS UNTRUE.

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in

the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public
transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.

Examples:

 The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

 The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
 When do we board the plane?
 The party starts at 8 o'clock.
 When does class begin tomorrow?
Simple Present Tense
I sing

How do we make the Simple Present Tense?

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

    do   base

There are three important exceptions:

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.

2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main
verb or es to the auxiliary.
3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for
questions and negatives.

Look at these examples with the main verb like:

  subject auxiliary verb   main verb  

+ I, you, we, they   like coffee.

He, she, it   likes coffee.

- I, you, we, they do not like coffee.

He, she, it does not like coffee.

? Do I, you, we, they   like coffee?

Does he, she, it   like coffee?

Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no
auxiliary:

  subject main verb    

+ I am   French.

You, we, they are   French.

He, she, it is   French.

- I am not old.

You, we, they are not old.

 He, she, it is not old.

? Am I   late?

Are you, we, they   late?

Is he, she, it   late?

How do we use the Simple Present Tense?

We use the simple present tense when:

 the action is general

 the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past,
present and future
 the action is not only happening now
 the statement is always true

John drives a taxi.

past present future

It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and
future.

Look at these examples:

 I live in New York.

 The Moon goes round the Earth.
 John drives a taxi.
 He does not drive a bus.
 We meet every Thursday.
 We do not work at night.
 Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present
tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple
present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb
"to be" in the simple present tense - some of them are general, some
of them are now:

Am I right?
Tara is not at home.
You are happy.
 past present future

The situation is now.

 
I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.

past present future

The situation is general. Past, present and future.

 
This page shows the use of the simple present tense to talk about
general events. But note that there are some other uses for the simple
present tense, for example in conditional or ifsentences, or to talk
about the future. You will learn about those later.
Simple Present Forms
Most Verbs

Most verbs conjugate like the verb "run" below. Notice how you add an "s" to
third-person forms. Third-person negative forms and third-person questions
are made using "does."

Positive Negative Question

 I run.  I do not run.  Do I run?

 You run.  You do not run.  Do you run?
 We run.  We do not run.  Do we run?
 They run.  They do not run.  Do they run?
 He runs.  He does not run.  Does he run?
 She runs.  She does not run.  Does she run?
 It runs.  It does not run.  Does it run?

Instead of "s," "es" is added to positive, third-person forms of verbs ending

with the following sounds: s, z, sh, ch, j or zs (as in Zsa Zsa). These special
"es"-forms have been marked below with an asterisk*.

Positive Negative Question

 I rush.  I do not rush.  Do I rush?

 You rush.  You do not  Do you rush?
 We rush. rush.  Do we rush?
 They rush.  We do not  Do they rush?
rush.
 He rushes. *  Does he rush?
 They do not
 She rushes. * rush.  Does she rush?
 It rushes. *  He does not  Does it rush?
rush.
 She does not
rush.
  It does not
rush.

To Have

The verb "have" is irregular in positive, third-person forms. This irregular form
has been marked below with an asterisk*.

Positive Negative Question

 I have.  I do not have.  Do I have?

 You have.  You do not have.  Do you have?
 We have.  We do not have.  Do we have?
 They have.  They do not have.  Do they have?
 He has. *  He does not have.  Does he have?
 She has. *  She does not have.  Does she have?
 It has. *  It does not have.  Does it have?

To Be

The verb "be" is irregular in the Simple Present. It also has different question
forms and negative forms.

Positive Negative Question

 I am.  I am not.  Am I?

 You are.  You are not.  Are you?
 We are.  We are not.  Are we?
 They are.  They are not.  Are they?
 He is.  He is not.  Is he?
 She is.  She is not.  Is she?
 It is.  It is not.  Is it?
 Simple Present 1

What's the best word to complete the sentence?

Click on the correct answer.

Show one at a time

1. My life is so boring -- I just ________ TV every night.

A.   ?    watch

B.   ?    watchies

C.   ?    watches

2. She ________ in Florida.

A.   ?    live

B.   ?    lives

C.   ?    livees

3. My mother ________ eggs for breakfast every morning.

A.   ?    fry

B.   ?    frys

C.   ?    fries

4. It ________ almost every day in Manchester.

A.   ?    rain
 B.   ?    rains

C.   ?    raines

5. The bank ________ at four o'clock.

A.   ?    close

B.   ?    closies

C.   ?    closes

6. John ________ very hard in class, but I don't think he'll pass the course.

A.   ?    try

B.   ?    trys

C.   ?    tries

7. My best friend ________ to me every week.

A.   ?    write

B.   ?    writies

C.   ?    writes

8. I ________ in a bank.

A.   ?    work

B.   ?    works

C.   ?    workes
9. Jo is so smart that she ________ every exam without even trying.

A.   ?    pass

B.   ?    passies

C.   ?    passes

10. We ________ to Spain every summer.

A.   ?    fly

B.   ?    flys

C.   ?    flies