What is the Present Simple?

The Present Simple is the verb tense used to speak about actions that repeat, sometimes, never, or always. It is also for habitual things we do, like when we drink tea every morning or read a book before sleep. 

The tense is also called Simple Present or Present Indefinite. It is easy to build sentences in this tense, but there are a few nuances you need to know to understand it fully. 

Present Simple Tense structure Present Simple Tense structure 1

Examples of Simple Present:

I read this book every year.
My mom sometimes takes me to McDonald’s.
He never travels alone.
His brothers go to parties once a week.
We meet on weekdays.
They visit different places in the summer.

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Present Simple structure

The structure of the Present Simple is easy and only touches the verb. To form a sentence, you need to take the base form of the verb (to run, to meet, to walk, to cook). 

Then you add   -s  or   -es  ending to the verb if it is a third-person singular (he, she, it). The other subjects (I, you, we, they) go with a bare infinitive — the root form without the particle to.

Present Simple Tense Formula Present Simple Tense Formula 1

Look at how the verb changes based on the person:

Subject Structure of Present Simple
I
 
I listen to music.
You
 
You read books.
He
 
He talks about sports.
She
 
She likes art lessons.
It
 
It has four wheels.
We
 
We go to the cinema every week.
They
 
They have dinner.
You (plural)
 
We get pizza.
Tip: 

To memorize the grammar quickly, practice with your daily routine. Write what you do every day by the hour.

When do we use the Present Simple?

There are many cases of using the Present Simple. You can even write a short article on any topic using only this tense — it illustrates its usefulness. 

Take a look at the cases and Present Simple tense examples below:

Usage Examples
Repetitive, habitual actions
 
I call my friend when I go for a walk.
States and conditions
 
I remember you.
General truths or facts
 
The USA consists of 50 states.
Scheduled events in the future
 
The plane leaves at 7 a.m.
Instructions
 
Press the button and wait three seconds.
Pointing direction
 
Turn to the right and cross the road.
Phrases with adverbs of frequency
 
I always check my mailbox.

Tense markers

In Present Simple, these words help you to show the repetitiveness of some action, your schedule, daily routine, habits, and so on. Check the sentences to see how it works:

Time indicators Present Simple examples
Always, usually, sometimes, rarely, never.
I rarely answer my phone.
Every day/week/month.
He visits his grandparents every month.
Once a year, twice a week, three times a month.
You go on a trip once a year.
On Sundays, on Mondays, on Tuesdays.
We spend time with friends on Sundays.
In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening,
They clean their rooms in the evening.
At 7 a.m., at 5 p.m.
You have breakfast at 10 a.m.
Tip: 

Long phrases like once a week, every month, or in the morning typically go to the end of the sentence in the Present Simple sentences. Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, sometimes) are placed after the subject (I, You, They) and before the verb (go, visit, spend).

How to use the Simple Present tense?

We discussed the Present Simple definition and the cases of its usage. Now, let’s explore other nuances that will help you to learn English effectively.

Affirmative sentences 

If you want to say that something is a fact or it happens regularly, you use affirmative, or positive, sentences. Here, you need the formula you learned before:

Present Simple Affirmative Formula Present Simple Affirmative Formula 1

Here are some sentences for more understanding:

Subject Example
I
I write a message to my grandma every day.
You (singular)
You start your job tomorrow.
He/She/It
She plays a guitar.
We
We learn English at school.
They
They pass the test every year.
You (plural)
You run a marathon together.

Negative sentences

Creating a negative sentence in the Simple Present tense requires us to add a special auxiliary verb:

do, for I, you, we, they;
does for he, she, or it.
Present Simple formula for negative sentences Present Simple formula for negative sentences 1

Examples:

I do not know where the train station is.
We do not order delivery. 
They do not have the chargers we need. 

In negative sentences, we can use both long forms and constructions. The short Present Simple form is constructed by joining the words do not  and does not:

Let’s refer to some examples:

Subject Full form Short form
I
I do not speak English.
I don’t speak English.
You (singular)
You do not have time.
You don’t have time.
He/She/It
He does not work here.
He doesn’t work here.
We
We do not travel every year.
We don’t travel every year.
They
They do not watch superhero movies.
They don’t watch superhero movies.
You (plural)
You do not know how to swim.
You don’t know how to swim.

Questions

To create questions in Present Simple, we take do and does and put them at the beginning. The subject follows the auxiliary word, and the main verb comes after the noun. 

Yes/no questions

Present Simple formula for Questions Present Simple formula for Questions 1
Present Simple Questions example Present Simple Questions example 1

Take a look at examples of such sentences:

Question Answer
Do you want to go to Hozier’s concert? I have three tickets.
I don’t have time. Call Suzie, she adores him.
Don’t you know you can’t park your car here?
No, I don’t. I’m sorry, but there are no signs here.
Does his family live in Sweden?
They live in Germany.

WH-question

Present Simple formula for Wh Questions Present Simple formula for Wh Questions 1
Present Simple WH Questions structure Present Simple WH Questions structure 1

Let’s look at examples:

Question Answer
What do you need? How can I help you?
I need some water, please.
Why does he get up so early every morning?
He goes running to stay fit.
Where do they take all that staff from?
They order it from eBay.
Tip: 

We change the form of the verb when the sentence is positive, but when it is negative, or a question, do and does indicate the tense, so we don’t add any endings.

That’s why: Does he work here?
But not: Does he works here?

The verb to be

We don’t use the auxiliary words when there are no verbs in the sentence. That’s why when we want to say that we are not happy or ask if another person is tired, we need to know the rules of using the verb to be in the Present Simple. 

It has three forms, which we use based on our subject. 

Only by using this grammar structure can you tell a lot about yourself.

Present Simple uses with to be:

Positive Negative Questions
I am at home.
I am not at home.
Am I at home?
He is seventeen.
He is not seventeen.
Is he seventeen?
She is in New Zealand.
She is not in New Zealand.
Is she in New Zealand?
It is blue.
It is not blue.
Is it blue?
You are a teacher.
You are not a teacher.
Are you a teacher?
We are from Lisbon.
We are not from Lisbon.
Are we from Lisbon?
They are slow.
They are not slow.
Are they slow?

Spelling rules for Simple Present

To build correct sentences, you need to learn how the verbs change in this tense. We prepared easy and detailed explanations you can find below.

When to add -s

We said before that the ending can be -s or –es, and now we’ll explain practical tips in the affirmative sentences you can use to state some facts or situations.

Base form + -s ending Example
walk → walks
Your sister walks the dog every morning.
eat → eats
His cousin eats everything.
wait → waits
Jeremy waits for good weather every time.
work → works
Samantha works here and there.

When to add -es

After the verbs that end in these letters: –ch, –ss, –sh, –x, –o we need to add –es:

Base form + -es ending Example
catch → catches
My friend catches a cold every fall.
pass → passes
My cousin always passes all her exams.
wash → washes
This machine washes dishes, not clothes.
fix → fixes
That master fixes computers and smartphones.

The spelling for words ending in –y requires removing the last letter and instead putting –ies:

Base form + -ies ending Example
study → studies
AI studies as an actual human.
cry → cries
My daughter sometimes cries when she wants to sleep.
try → tries
She tries so hard to get good marks.
reply → replies
He always replies slowly.
If a word has a vowel at the end, followed by -y, you need to end regular -s:
Base form + -s ending (after y) Example
stay → stays
She stays with her grandmother every weekend.
play → plays
It plays the same song again and again.
enjoy → enjoys
He enjoys the silence after a long ride.
say → says
She always says that you are a kind person.
Tip: 

There are also some irregular cases. For instance, the verb to have changes into has.

Irregular forms

There are some verbs that you need to memorize in order to use them correctly in Present Simple tense. 

Verb Example
be → am/are
I am Clara.
You are George.
have → has (he/she/it)
She has an apple.
do → does (he/she/it)
He does the housework.

Common verbs in the Present Simple

It means the most popular verbs that all speakers use in daily communication, through chats, emails, office meetings, at school, and more. In the table below, you will find some examples according to the categories.

Type Verbs Example
Action make, go, do, play, cook
Father cooks us dinner every evening.
Stative know, have, like, want
I want a house in the countryside.
Sense see, smell, hear, feel
You need to smell this cinnamon candle!

With these verbs, you can tell about your daily routine, your wishes, some facts, preferences, and even more.

Common pitfalls to watch out for

The Present Simple rules are not complicated. But it is easy to make many mistakes when you use it. We collected the most repetitive errors for you to know what to focus on:

Choosing to be form instead of do and does

Remember, the main difference between these two cases is that we choose do and does when there is a verb in a sentence, an action, or a state (to run, to feel, know, to study the Present Simple), and we use am, is, are when a subject is followed by adjectives (happy, smart, nervous, hungry, thirsty): 

Incorrect Correct
I am not agree with you.
I don’t agree with you.
He is play the guitar.
He plays the guitar.

Forgetting about auxiliary verbs

Another wrong way of speaking and writing is forgetting about a tense word. It is very important not to ignore it because it is only one indicator of the time we have in a sentence, especially in simple tenses:

Incorrect Correct
They not know.
They don’t know.
He not go dancing.
He doesn’t go dancing.

Misusing auxiliary verbs by a person

Present Simple grammar entirely depends on the person. We always use do or don’t if it is first person singular or second plural. When it is third person singular, we need to spell does or doesn’t.

Incorrect Correct
We doesn’t live here.
We don’t live here.
Do she want to buy food?
Does she want to buy food?
Tip: 

Subjects are more than just he, she, it, or you, we, they. My brother, the sofa, our apartments, my doctor’s wife are also subjects, and it would be good to practice it separately.

Helpful learning tips

The structure of the Present Simple is basic for the more complex English tenses you will learn in the future. It is also important for common communication with people, so you need to master it. Here, you will find some tips from advanced learners that actually work. 

Tip 1. Practice daily

The first advice is to exercise every day, even for 5 minutes. You can use quick activities from KotoEnglish that take a little of your time, write down your habits or personal information, like where you live, study, work, or else.

Tip 2. Memorize time expressions

You already saw tense markers that will help you to master this grammar. Remembering them, you will also prepare for tests and will recognize them in daily communication.

Tip 3. Reflect on what you learned

Use flashcards, notes, or recall paper to repeat the grammar, so you will remember it for life. Once in a few days, repeat words, tense structure, time markers, and more.

Tip 4. Integrate Present Simple in your day

This practice is also good for being in the moment. Let’s say you are walking in the park, and form your sentences, like, “The woman walks with a dog,” “The child plays with a car toy.”

Summary

What is the Present Simple tense again? It is a very often-used tense that is used to describe your habits, preferences, states, emotions, and needs. To remember it, we recommend working on all the forms — positive, negative, and questions. Present Simple is your first key to fluent speaking. 

FAQ about the Present Simple tense

Is to be used differently in the Present Simple?

Yes, you use is, am, are with different subjects. Let’s check some examples: 

I am your friend. 
You are brave. 
He is tall. 
Do irregular verbs change in this tense?

Yes, you change them for the third person singular he/she/it. In the material above, you can read about adding s-/-es to the ending of these verbs. 

He does all the tasks. 
She has a new phone. 
It breaks easily. 
What are the most common time expressions used with the Present Simple?

Typically, you will use these tense markers in Simple Present:

  • always
  • usually
  • often
  • every day
  • once a month
  • all the time
  • in the morning
  • generally, etc.
What is the difference between the Present Simple and Present Continuous?

You use the Present Simple to discuss what you do from time to time, once a day, three times a week, or to describe general truths. 

We work part-time every summer. 

If you want to discuss something happening right now, at the moment, you need to use Present Continuous:

They are working now.
What is the Present Simple tense?

Present Simple is a basic tense form that we use to talk about daily activities we repeat, habits, facts, observations, schedules, likes and dislikes, and more. To form this tense, you need to use the formula: subject + verb base form + object.

Present Simple
Exercises section!
Exercises section

Tags

Auxiliary verbs
Present simple
Simple tenses
Tenses
Verb forms