How do we make the Present Simple Tense?
subject + auxiliary verb + main
verb
do base
There are three important exceptions:
For positive sentences, we do not normally use
the auxiliary.
For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add
s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.
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 Present Simple Tense?
We use the present simple 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 present simple tense for situations that are not general. We can use the
present simple tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb
"to be" in the present simple 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.
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?
USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)
Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to
express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can
only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.
Examples:
I am here now.
She is not here now.
He needs help right now.
He does not need help now.
He has his passport in his hand.
Do you have your passport with you?
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar
adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You only speak English.
Do you only speak English?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Once a week, Tom cleans the car. Active
Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. Passive
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