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Introduction

The simple present tense is one of the most common tenses in English. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense with regular verbs.

1. Forming the simple present tense

There are only two basic forms for the simple present tense; one ends with -s and the other doesn't. Here are the rules, using the example verb "sing":

Subject	Verb Form	Example
I	simple form	I sing
You	simple form	You sing
He	simple form + S	He sings
She	simple form + S	She sings
It	simple form + S	It sings
We	simple form	We sing
They	simple form	They sing

In other words, only THIRD PERSON SINGULAR subjects (he, she and it) have to have a verb with -S.

2. -s or -es ?

With most verbs, the third person singular form is created simply by adding -S. However, with some verbs, you need to add -ES or change the ending a little. Here are the rules:

Verb ending in...	How to make the 3rd person singular	Example
s	Add -ES	He passes
z	Add -ES	She waltzes
sh	Add -ES	She wishes
ch	Add -ES	He watches
x	Add -ES	She mixes
o	Add -ES	He goes
consonant + y	Change Y to I, then add -ES	It flies
[anything else]	Add -S	He sings

When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.

belaja yoook....Structure Examples We use the Present Simple Tense: To form the Present Simple Tense we use the verb's base form (go, work, speak, study). In 3rd person singular (he, she, it), the base form of the verb takes -s/es. (Auxiliary verbs "be," "do," "have", which can also be used as main verbs, are exceptions.) Affirmative form I you work we they he/she/it works /-s/ go - goes /-es/ watch - watches /-es/ play - plays /-s/ study - studies /-es/ ! Remember: to be I/you/we/they are he/she/it is to do I/you/we/they do he/she/it does to have I/you/we/they have he/she/it has Negative form I you DO NOT /don't/ we WORK they he/she/it DOES NOT /doesn't / WORK 1. She doesn't often go to the cinema. 2. I don't get up early at the weekend. 3. They don't speak English very well. Interrogative form I DO you WORK? we they DOES he/she/it WORK? 1. Do they speak foreign languages? 2. Do you want a banana? 3. Does your sister play the piano? Questions and short answers: Do you like spaghetti? Yes, I do. No, I don't. Does she know Bulgarian? Yes, she does. No, she doesn't. 1. Philip gets up at 6 o'clock every morning. 2. I go to school every day. 3. She sometimes goes out on Friday night. 4. I usually sleep late on Sunday morning. 5. Peter works for 8 hours every day. 6. We usually start work at 8 o'clock. 7. My children often watch TV in the afternoon. 8. He always forgets his keys. when we talk about things that happen repeatedly or habitually With Present Simple Tense we often use time expressions such as always, often, sometimes, usually, seldom, on Saturdays, rarely, never, every day, etc. 1. I work in a bank. 2. Kate speaks English very well. 3. Tom lives in London. when we talk about permanent or long-lasting situations 1. People make choices because they can't have everything they want. 2. Nurses work in clinics and hospitals. 3. Football is a very popular sport in Bulgaria. when we talk about people or things in general 1. The Earth is spherical. 2. My birthday is in May. 3. California is in the Unated States. 4. The sun rises in the east. 5. Water freezes at 0°C (32°F). to indicate general truths, facts and scientific laws 1. We arrive in Rome at 6 p.m. 2. The train leaves in five minutes. 3. The course starts next Thursday. when we talk about travel plans and timetables (mainly with verbs such as go, leave, arrive, start, come, return etc.) 1. She loves jazz music. 2. My aunt hates travelling by train. 3. I like ice cream. I don't like spinach. 4. I think she is a wonderful person. 5. Do you believe in God? 6. I have no money at the moment. 7. My brother has a new car. 8. That bicycle belongs to me. with state (or stative) verbs such as like, dislike, love, think, seem, look, know, feel, understand, want, need, hate, remember, forget, prefer, believe, mean, taste, hear, see, have (when the meaning is "possess"), own, belong, etc. These verbs are not normally used in the Continuous Tense (but there are exceptions). 1. Pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. 2. Walk down the street to the corner and then turn right. to give instructions/directions The Present Simple Tense is also used in : sentences after "when", "after", "while", "till" / "until", "before", "as soon as" - When the rain stops, we'll go out. I'll call you back as soon as I return home. zero conditional sentences (when the result of the condition is always true) - If you heat water to 100°C (212°F), it boils. first conditional sentences (Often called the "real" conditional because it is used for real (or possible) situations. These situations take place if a certain condition is met.) - If you finish your homework I'll bring you to the zoo. Notes about formation of the 3rd person singular (he, she, it): If the verb ends in -ss, -sh, -ch, -x or -o, add -es to the base form: kiss - kisses, finish - finishes, watch - watches, mix - mixes, go - goes If the verb ends in consonant + y change y to i and add -es: study - studies, copy - copies, try - tries, carry - carries

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Present Simple Tense

I sing

How do we make the Present Simple 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 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.

 

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