If you’re a beginner in learning English as an additional language, the present simple is the first verb tense you need to master. This happens because it’s the most frequently used tense to talk about ourselves. So, if you’re not sure about how to use it properly, this article is essential for you. Keep reading!
In case you need to remember all of these tenses, check out this amazing overview of all verb tenses in English!
Present Simple Tense in English
The present simple (or simple present) tense in English is the verb tense used to talk about routines, habits, general truths, and schedules. It is formed with the base form (or root form) of the verb. This means that the present simple is formed with the form of the verb you find in dictionaries. Examples of these forms are: be, do, make, go, watch, play, read, listen, etc.
Let’s see how the simple present is formed and used to express different ideas.
IMPORTANT: If you want to understand more about the present simple of the verb be, which works differently from other verbs, check our article Everything You Should Know About The Verb “To Be” In The Present Simple In English.
How to Form the Present Simple
This tense is formed using the base form (or root form) of the verb. When we use the first-person singular (I), second-person singular (you), first-person plural (we), second-person plural (you), and third-person plural (they), we only use the base form of the verb without any changes. When we use the second-person singular (he/she/it), we add -s (or its variations).
| SUBJECT PRONOUN | VERB |
| I | do |
| You | make |
| He/she/it | plays |
| We | watch |
| You | listen |
| They | read |
How to Make the Present Simple Negative
To make this tense negative, add do not (don’t) before the verb for the first-person singular (I), second-person singular (you), first-person plural (we), second-person plural (you), and third-person plural (they), or does not (doesn’t) for the second-person singular (he/she/it). Notice that when we use doesn’t, we don’t add -s to the verb anymore.
| SUBJECT PRONOUN | NEGATION | VERB |
| I | don’t | do |
| You | don’t | make |
| He/she/it | doesn’t | play |
| We | don’t | watch |
| You | don’t | listen |
| They | don’t | read |
How to Ask Question in the Present Simple
To ask questions in this tense, we use do before the subject pronoun for the first-person singular (I), second-person singular (you), first-person plural (we), second-person plural (you), and third-person plural (they), or does for the second-person singular (he/she/it). Notice that when we use does, we don’t add -s to the verb anymore.
| DO/DOES | SUBJECT PRONOUN | VERB |
| Do | I | do…? |
| Do | you | make…? |
| Does | he/she/it | plays…? |
| Do | we | watch…? |
| Do | you | listen…? |
| Do | they | read…? |
Short answers
To answer these questions you can use short answers.
| QUESTION | AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER | NEGATIVE ANSWER |
| Do I…? | Yes, I do/Yes, you do. | No, I don’t/No, you don’t. |
| Do you…? | Yes, I do/Yes, we do. | No, I don’t/No, we don’t. |
| Does he/she/it…? | Yes, he/she/it does. | No, he/she/it doesn’t. |
| Do we…? | Yes, we do. | No, we don’t. |
| Do they…? | Yes, they do. | No, they don’t. |
Routines or Habits
When we talk about routines or habits we use the simple present. Look at the examples below.
| I go to work by bus. |
| You play tennis every day. |
| He watches Netflix in the evening. |
| We listen to a lot of different podcasts. |
| They make wonderful cakes. |
General truths
When we talk about general truths we use the simple present. Look at the examples below.
| I work in São Paulo. |
| You live in London. |
| The Earth goes around the sun. |
| We belong to the species Homo Sapiens. |
| Eight planets make up the solar system. |
Schedules
When we talk about schedules (present or future) we use the simple present. Look at the examples below.
| I start work at 9 am. |
| You leave school at 5 pm. |
| The nearest bank opens at 10 am. |
| We travel tomorrow. |
| Stores close at 6 pm. |
Adverbs of Frequency
When adverbs of frequency are used with the present simple, they usually go between the subject pronoun and the verb. Look at the examples below.
| I always go to work by bus. |
| You often play tennis. |
| He sometimes watches Netflix in the evening. |
| We hardly ever listen to podcasts. |
| They never make mistakes. |
WH question words
When WH question words are used with questions in the present simple, they go before do/does. Look at the examples below:
| What do you want? |
| Where do you live? |
| What time does he take a shower? |
| When do we need to meet each other? |
| Which do they prefer: soccer or basketball? |
If you want to practice everything you have learned about the present simple, check out this amazing list of conversation questions for you to practice the present simple tense.
If you want to master every aspect of English grammar, take a look at our awesome article on the best books to learn English grammar.
