Present Simple Tense in English

The Present Simple tense is one of the most fundamental and frequently used tenses in English. It forms the foundation of English communication and is essential for expressing daily routines, general truths, permanent situations, and habitual actions. Mastering the Present Simple tense is crucial for building confidence in English, as it appears in nearly every conversation and written text.

Unlike many other languages, English uses the Present Simple not just for current actions, but for a wide variety of situations that express permanence, regularity, and factual information. In this lesson, we'll focus on the affirmative (positive) form of the Present Simple tense.

1. Structure of Present Simple (Affirmative Only)

The Present Simple has a very straightforward structure, but there's one important rule to remember: third person singular (he, she, it) requires an -s or -es ending.

Structure:

  • I / you / we / they → base verb (no change)
  • He / she / it → base verb + s/es

Examples:

  • I work in an office.
  • You speak English very well.
  • He works in an office.
  • She speaks English very well.
  • It rains a lot in winter.
  • We live in London.
  • They study at university.

2. Third Person Singular Rules

The most important rule in Present Simple is adding -s, -es, or -ies to verbs when the subject is he, she, or it. Here are the spelling rules:

General Rule: Add -s

Most verbs simply add -s in the third person singular:

  • work → works
  • play → plays
  • run → runs
  • eat → eats
  • sleep → sleeps

Special Cases:

Rule Ending Examples Third Person Form
Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o Add -es pass, wash, watch, fix, go passes, washes, watches, fixes, goes
Verbs ending in consonant + y Change y to i and add -es study, try, fly, carry studies, tries, flies, carries
Verbs ending in vowel + y Just add -s play, stay, enjoy plays, stays, enjoys
The verb "have" Irregular have has
The verb "be" Irregular be is
The verb "do" Irregular do does

Examples in sentences:

  • She watches TV every evening. (watch + es)
  • He studies mathematics at university. (study → studies)
  • The train goes to Manchester. (go + es)
  • She has two children. (have → has)
  • It is a beautiful day. (be → is)

3. Verb Conjugation Tables

Here's how different types of verbs are conjugated in the Present Simple:

Regular Verb: "work"

Subject Verb Form Example
I work I work from Monday to Friday.
You work You work very hard.
He works He works in a bank.
She works She works as a teacher.
It works It works perfectly.
We work We work together.
They work They work in the same office.

Verb ending in -es: "watch"

Subject Verb Form Example
I watch I watch the news every day.
You watch You watch too much TV.
He watches He watches football on Sundays.
She watches She watches movies at night.
It watches The cat watches birds from the window.
We watch We watch documentaries together.
They watch They watch the sunset every evening.

The Verb "Be" (Irregular)

Subject Verb Form Example
I am I am a student.
You are You are very kind.
He is He is a doctor.
She is She is from Brazil.
It is It is cold today.
We are We are happy.
They are They are friends.

4. Main Uses of Present Simple

The Present Simple tense is used in many different situations. Understanding these uses will help you know when to use this tense correctly:

1. Daily Routines and Habits

To describe actions that happen regularly or repeatedly:

  • I wake up at 7 AM every day.
  • She drinks coffee for breakfast.
  • They go to the gym three times a week.
  • He takes the bus to work.
  • We have dinner at 6 PM.
  • The children play in the park after school.

2. General Truths and Facts

To state facts that are always true or scientific facts:

  • Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
  • The sun rises in the east.
  • Birds fly south for the winter.
  • The Earth revolves around the sun.
  • Plants need water to survive.
  • Light travels faster than sound.

3. Permanent Situations

To describe situations that are permanent or long-lasting:

  • She lives in Paris.
  • I work for a technology company.
  • They own a restaurant.
  • He speaks four languages.
  • My parents come from Italy.
  • This building belongs to the university.

4. Scheduled Events (Future Meaning)

To talk about scheduled events in the future, especially with timetables:

  • The train leaves at 9:30 PM.
  • The movie starts in ten minutes.
  • School begins on September 1st.
  • The shop closes at 8 PM.
  • The flight departs at noon tomorrow.

5. Instructions and Directions

To give instructions or directions:

  • You turn left at the traffic lights.
  • First, you mix the flour and eggs.
  • You click on the icon to open the program.
  • You take the second exit at the roundabout.

6. Sports Commentary and Narration

To describe actions happening now (in commentary or demonstrations):

  • Messi passes to Ronaldo...
  • She adds the sugar to the mixture...
  • The chef cuts the vegetables carefully...

5. State Verbs vs. Action Verbs

In Present Simple, it's important to understand the difference between state verbs and action verbs:

State Verbs (Non-action Verbs)

These verbs describe states, not actions. They are almost always used in Present Simple, not continuous tenses:

Mental States
  • know - I know the answer.
  • believe - She believes in ghosts.
  • understand - They understand the problem.
  • remember - He remembers everything.
  • forget - I always forget names.
  • think (opinion) - I think it's a good idea.
Emotions and Preferences
  • like - We like Italian food.
  • love - She loves her job.
  • hate - He hates spiders.
  • prefer - I prefer tea to coffee.
  • want - They want a new car.
  • need - You need more practice.
Senses
  • see - I see a bird in the tree.
  • hear - She hears music.
  • smell - The flower smells nice.
  • taste - This soup tastes delicious.
  • feel - The fabric feels soft.
Possession and Relationship
  • have - I have two sisters.
  • own - They own a house.
  • possess - She possesses great talent.
  • belong - This book belongs to me.
  • contain - The box contains old photos.

Action Verbs

Action verbs describe activities and can be used in both simple and continuous tenses:

  • work, play, eat, drink, walk, run, write, read, study, talk, sleep, dance

6. Time Expressions with Present Simple

Certain time expressions are commonly used with the Present Simple to indicate frequency or regularity:

Frequency Adverbs

These usually go before the main verb (but after the verb "be"):

Frequency Adverb Example
100% always I always eat breakfast.
90% usually She usually arrives on time.
70% often We often go to the cinema.
50% sometimes He sometimes works late.
30% occasionally They occasionally eat out.
10% rarely/seldom I rarely watch TV.
5% hardly ever She hardly ever complains.
0% never He never smokes.

Time Expressions

Daily/Weekly/Monthly
  • every day/morning/evening
  • every week/month/year
  • on Mondays/weekdays
  • at the weekend
  • twice a week
  • three times a month
  • once a year
General Time References
  • in the morning/afternoon/evening
  • at night
  • in summer/winter
  • on weekends
  • during the holidays
  • all the time
  • these days

Examples with time expressions:

  • I go to the gym every Tuesday.
  • She usually drinks tea in the morning.
  • They visit their grandparents once a month.
  • He never eats meat on Fridays.
  • We always have a meeting on Monday mornings.

7. Common Mistakes with Present Simple

Incorrect Correct Explanation
He work in London. He works in London. Third person singular needs -s
She studys English. She studies English. Change y to i and add -es
They goes to school. They go to school. Plural subjects don't take -s
I am work here. I work here. Don't use "be" with other verbs in Present Simple
He does goes there often. He goes there often. Don't use "does" in affirmative sentences
She have a car. She has a car. "Have" becomes "has" in third person
It rain every day. It rains every day. "It" requires third person -s
I'm usually go there. I usually go there. Don't use "be" with Present Simple (except for "be" itself)

8. Pronunciation of -s/-es Endings

The -s/-es ending in third person singular can be pronounced in three different ways:

Sound After these sounds Examples Pronunciation
/s/ p, t, k, f, th (voiceless) stops, sits, looks, laughs like "s" in "snake"
/z/ b, d, g, v, m, n, l, r, vowels grabs, reads, hugs, lives, comes, runs, plays like "z" in "zoo"
/ɪz/ s, z, sh, ch, j, x passes, freezes, washes, watches, judges, fixes like "iz" (extra syllable)

Present Simple Practice Test

Choose the correct form of the verb in the Present Simple tense for each sentence.

1. She ______ (work) in a hospital.

2. They ______ (study) English every day.

3. He ______ (watch) TV in the evening.

4. My sister ______ (have) two children.

5. The train ______ (leave) at 9 o'clock.

Fill in the Blanks - Basic

Type the correct form of the verb in the Present Simple tense for each sentence.

Third Person Singular Practice

Choose the correct third person singular form of the verb.

1. study → he ______

2. go → she ______

3. play → it ______

4. do → he ______

5. fly → she ______

Frequency Adverbs Practice

Choose the sentence with the correct position of the frequency adverb.

1. (usually)

2. (always) - with verb "be"

3. (never)

4. (sometimes)

5. (often)

State vs Action Verbs

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb.

Summary: Key Points to Remember

  1. The Present Simple is used for habits, routines, permanent situations, and general truths
  2. Third person singular (he, she, it) requires -s, -es, or -ies ending
  3. Follow spelling rules: consonant + y → ies; verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o → add -es
  4. "Have" becomes "has", "do" becomes "does", and "be" becomes "is" in third person singular
  5. Frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, etc.) go before the main verb but after "be"
  6. State verbs (know, like, believe, etc.) are typically used in Present Simple, not continuous tenses
  7. Time expressions help indicate frequency: every day, once a week, on Mondays, etc.
  8. Don't use auxiliary verbs (do/does) in affirmative sentences
  9. The -s ending has three pronunciations: /s/, /z/, and /ɪz/
  10. Present Simple can express future for scheduled events (The train leaves at 6 PM)

The Present Simple tense is essential for everyday communication in English. It allows you to talk about your life, express facts, describe routines, and share general truths. Practice using it with different subjects, especially paying attention to the third person singular forms. Remember that mastering the Present Simple provides a strong foundation for learning other English tenses!