Simple Present Tense

We use the Simple Present Tense to talk about our daily routines as in the sentences, I get up at 8:00, I brush my teeth every morning or I go to the gym at 11:00 a.m everyday.

But there are other uses of the Simple Present Tense, such as talking about general truths and facts, permanent situations, habits and actions that we do regularly, timetables and schedules, feelings and opinions.

Let’s look at each of these different uses, with some example sentences.


How to Use the Simple Present Tense 

1. For daily routines, habits, actions that we do regularly.

  • I usually go to bed at 11:00.
  • My father leaves home for work at 7 a.m.
  • She always drinks almond milk for breakfast.
  • He drinks tea without sugar.
  • I take a walk in the park every evening.
  • We often play table tennis after school.

As you see in the examples, when we talk about our daily routines, habits, and actions that we do regularly, we use some words like, always, usually, often, never, sometimes, rarely. We use these words to talk about how frequently we do things.

We also use time expressions such as, every evening, everyday, once a week, twice a day, etc.


Click here for the frequency adverbs chart and more examples.


2. For permanent situations and things that are always true or always the same.

  • I live in Brazil.
  • He has two brothers.
  • They work in a restaurant.
  • Football players train really hard.
  • People speak English and French in Canada.
  • I don’t eat broccoli.


3. For general truths and facts.

  • Kangaroos live in Australia.
  • A human heart beats 72 times in a minute.
  • Cashews grow on trees.
  • California has more people than all of Canada.
  • Ninety percent of Earth's population lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Canada has more than half of all the natural lakes in the world.
  • A circle has 360 degrees.


4. For timetables and schedules.

  • Schools start in September.
  • What time does the match start?
  • The train leaves at 6:30.
  • The library opens at 9 a.m. every morning.


5.For feelings and opinions.

  • I love ice cream.
  • This restaurant has the best food in town.
  • I agree with Jason.
  • She wants a new pair of jeans.
  • I think he plays football very well.


How to Form The Simple Present Tense

Positive Sentences

The simple present tense is easy to form.
Conjugation of the simple present positive form has two very simple rules:

  • For the third person singular, he, she or it just add an s to the verb.
  • For the other subjects, I, you, we, they use the base form of the verb.

Singular 

I like chocolate ice cream.

You like chocolate ice cream.

He likes chocolate ice cream.

She likes chocolate ice cream.

It likes chocolate ice cream.


Plural

We like chocolate ice cream.

You like chocolate ice cream.

They like chocolate ice cream.



Let's see some examples:

 
     

  •       I drink tea every morning.
  •       You travel a lot.
  •       He reads the newspaper every Sunday.
  •       She lives in Ukraine.
  •       It plays with the ball.
  •       You like cheese.
  •       We sometimes go to the cinema at the weekend.
  •       They do barbecue on Sundays.




Negative Sentences

We use do and does with not to make the negative form in the simple present tense.


After I, you, we, they use do not (don’t) and the base form of the verb.
After he, she, it use does not (doesn’t) and the base form of the verb.


Singular

I don't like sushi.

You don't like sushi.

He doesn't like sushi.

She doesn't like sushi.

It doesn't like sushi.


Plural

We don't like sushi.

You don't like sushi.

They don't like sushi.



Let's see some examples:


  • I don’t listen to the radio.
  • You don’t have a car.
  • He doesn’t play football.
  • She doesn’t speak French.
  • It doesn’t work.
  • We don’t get up early.
  • You usually don’t eat out. 
  • They don't live in Australia.

Questions

Yes/no questions


We use do or does at the beginning of the sentence to form Simple Present questions.


Singular 

Do I like sushi?

Do you like sushi?

Does he like sushi?

Does she like sushi?

Does it like sushi?


Plural

Do we like sushi?

Do you like sushi?

Do they like sushi?




Let's see some examples:


  • Do I know her?
  • Do you like tea?
  • Does she cook well?
  • Does he speak German?
  • Does she take the bus to the school?
  • Do they go to the gym at the weekend?


Wh- Questions

Use Wh- question words such as what, where, who ,etc. before do and does to form Simple Present Tense questions.


Singular 

What do I like?

Where do you live ?

What time do you get up?

Where does she work?

When does he leave home in the mornings?


Plural

What do we do in summer?

When do you study English?

How do they make it?


  Let’s see some examples:


  • What time do you have breakfast?
  • What do you do in your free time?
  • Who do you live with?
  • Where do they play volleyball?
  • How often does he exercise in a week?
  • When does she go to the course?



Answers

We usually give short answers to Yes / No questions.

       
A: Do you have a car?
B: Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.


We can also give long answers. (But we usually prefer short answers.)
         
A: Do you have a car?
B: Yes, I have a car. / No, I don’t have a car.




Ready to Practice?

Click here to try an exercise to practice the Simple Present Tense positive forms.

Try another exercise here on the Simple Present Tense Positive forms.



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