Present Simple
The present simple tense describes actions that are regular, habitual, or generally true. It’s used for facts, routines, and things that are always or usually true.
Table of Contents
1.Structures
1.1to be - Forms
These are the present simple forms of the verb to be
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | I am | We are |
| 2nd person | You are | You are |
| 3d person | He/She/It is | They are |
Practice Examples
She (be) _____ a teacher.
I (be) _____ happy.
They (be) _____ friends.
1.2to be - Structures
To form the present simple tense with the verb to be, follow these basic rules.
S = Subject
QW = question word
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + | S+am/is/are +... | I am always at home on Sunday. |
| - | S+am/is/are+not +... | He is not/isn’t at work now. |
| ? | (QW)+am/is/are+S+...? | Where are you? Are you at the railway station? |
Practice Examples
I am happy to see you.
She is a talented artist.
They are excited about the new project.
1.3Other Verbs - Structures
To form the present simple tense, follow these basic rules.
S = Subject
3d person singular = he/she/it
don’t = do not
doesn’t = does not
QW = question word
Important: Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, or -z: add -es ( watch → He watches)
Verbs ending in a consonant + -y: change -y to -ies (study → She studies)
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + | S + Verb(+-s/-es in 3d person singular) + ... | I drink tea every morning. He drinks tea every morning. |
| - | S + don’t/doesn’t(3d person singular) + Verb +... | We don’t like fast food. She doesn’t like fast food. |
| ? | (QW) + do/does(3d person singular) + S + Verb +...? | Where do you buy food? Do you often buy food? Where does he buy food? Does he always buy food? |
Practice Examples
You (know) _____ the answer.
He (finish) _____ work at 6.00.
The children (like) _____ sweets.
1.4Modal Verbs
To form the present simple tense, follow these basic rules.
S = Subject
QW = question word
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + | S + modal Verb + Verb+... | I can help you. He can help you. |
| - | S + modal Verb + not + Verb +... | You mustn’t call me this name. She mustn’t call me this name. |
| ? | (QW) + modal Verb + S + Verb +...? | What should I do? Should I read this article? What should she do? Should she read this article? |
Practice Examples
You should help your parents with the housework.
They must finish their project by Friday.
We can go to the movies tomorrow.
2.Use
2.1Permanent Situations, Habits, Routines
often with adverbs of frequency: always, sometimes, ever, never, usually, often etc.
| Example |
|---|
| I live near here. |
| We go on business twice per year. |
| He normally/always/often… drinks cocktails on weekends. |
Practice Examples
We (never/skip) _____ breakfast.
She (usually/go) _____ to the gym in the evening.
They (often/eat) _____ pizza on Fridays.
2.2Facts That Are Always True
Universal truths, general facts
| Example |
|---|
| Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. |
| Light travels faster than sound. |
| Plants need sunlight to grow. |
Practice Examples
Humans (need) _____ oxygen to breathe.
The human body (contain) _____ 206 bones.
Plants (make) _____ their food through photosynthesis.
2.3Schedules and Itineraries
Timetables and plans, planned events and timelines, programs and agendas etc. Often with transport or official events (conferences, business trips etc.)
| Example |
|---|
| The plane departs at 12:30. |
| On day 5 we fly to Paris. |
| The concert starts in an hour. |
Practice Examples
The party (take) _____ place on Friday evening.
The concert (start) _____ at 8:00 PM.
We (leave) _____ for the airport at 9:00 AM.
2.4States
With non-progressive (stative) verbs, such as to want, to know, to love, to like, to understand etc.
| Example |
|---|
| I don’t belong to this party now. |
| I want to go home right now. |
| I believe you. |
Practice Examples
They (belong) _____ to a book club.
I (know) _____ the answer to the question.
You (have) _____ a great sense of humor.
2.5Declarations, Promises, Demonstrations, Instructions
| Examples | |
|---|---|
| Declarations | I declare today is a holiday! We start our game now. I say this is the best book! |
| Promises | I promise to keep your secret. He promises to play with you. |
| Demonstrations | Now, I press the button, and the machine starts. First, I take the card and place it on the table. |
| Instructions | What do we do now? Where do we start? We begin with a quick review of the rules. |
Practice Examples
She (report) _____ that the project is on schedule.
They (commit) _____ to finishing the project on time.
We (announce) _____ the winner of the contest.
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