Present Simple Tense

What Is the Present Simple?

The present simple tense is one of the most important tenses in English. We use it to talk about things that are always true, things that happen regularly, and facts.

Think of the present simple as the "everyday" tense. It describes your daily life, your habits, and the world around you.

When Do We Use It?

Use the present simple for:

• Habits and routines: I drink coffee every morning.
• Facts and general truths: The sun rises in the east.
• Permanent situations: She lives in London.
• Feelings and opinions: I love chocolate.
• Schedules and timetables: The train leaves at 9:00 AM.

How to Form the Present Simple

Positive Sentences

For most subjects, use the base form of the verb:

• I play tennis on Saturdays.
• You work in an office.
• We study English together.
• They like pizza.

For he, she, it (third person singular), add -s or -es:

• He plays tennis on Saturdays.
• She works in an office.
• It rains a lot in London.

Spelling rules for he/she/it:

• Most verbs: add -s (play → plays, eat → eats)
• Verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o: add -es (watch → watches, go → goes)
• Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to -ies (study → studies, carry → carries)

Negative Sentences

Use do not (don't) or does not (doesn't) + base form:

• I don't like spiders.
• You don't need a ticket.
• He doesn't play football.
• She doesn't work on Sundays.

Important: After doesn't, always use the base form (no -s).

• Correct: She doesn't like coffee.
• Wrong: She doesn't likes coffee.

Questions

Use Do or Does + subject + base form:

• Do you speak French?
• Does she live near here?
• Do they know the answer?

Example Sentences

1. I wake up at 7:00 every day.
2. She teaches English at a school in Madrid.
3. We don't eat meat. We are vegetarian.
4. Does he work in a hospital? — Yes, he does.
5. My parents live in a small town near the mountains.
6. The shop opens at 9:00 and closes at 6:00.
7. I don't understand this word. What does it mean?

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Forgetting the -s for he/she/it

• Wrong: He play football.
• Correct: He plays football.

Mistake 2: Using -s after doesn't

• Wrong: She doesn't likes coffee.
• Correct: She doesn't like coffee.

Mistake 3: Using the present simple for actions happening right now

• Wrong: I eat lunch now. (Use present continuous: I am eating lunch now.)
• Correct: I eat lunch at 12:00 every day. (This is a habit.)

Mistake 4: Wrong question form

• Wrong: You like pizza?
• Correct: Do you like pizza?

Practice Tips

1. Describe your daily routine: Write five sentences about what you do every day using the present simple.
2. Talk about your family: Practice third-person singular by describing what your family members do. "My mother works in a hospital. My brother studies at university."
3. Learn common verbs first: Start with the most useful verbs: be, have, go, do, make, like, want, need, know, think.
4. Pay attention to the -s: Every time you use he, she, or it, check if you added the -s. This is the most common beginner mistake.