Simple Present Tense

Objective

Simple Present Forms

The simple present is just the base form of the verb. Questions are made with do and negative forms are made with do not.

Statement: You speak English.
Question: Do you speak English?
Negative: You do not speak English.

In the third person singular, -s or -es is added. Questions are made with does and negative forms are made with does not.

Statement: He speaks English.
Question: Does he speak English?
Negative: He does not speak English.

Simple Present Forms

Most Verbs

Most verbs conjugate like the verb “speak Russian” below. Notice how you add an “s” to third-person forms. Third-person negative forms and third-person questions are made using “does.”

Positive	Negative	Question
I speak Russian.	I do not speak Russian.	Do I speak Russian?
You speak Russian.	You do not speak Russian.	Do you speak Russian?
We speak Russian.	We do not speak Russian.	Do we speak Russian?
They speak Russian.	They do not speak Russian.	Do they speak Russian?
He speaks Russians.	He does not speak Russian.	Does he speak Russian?
She speaks Russians.	She does not speak Russian.	Does she speak Russian?
It speaks Russians.	It does not speak Russian.	Does it speak Russian?

Instead of “s,” “es” is added to positive, third-person forms of verbs ending with the following sounds: s, z, sh, ch, j or zs (as in Zsa Zsa). These special “es”-forms have been marked below with an asterisk*.

Positive	Negative	Question
I fix cars.	I do not fix cars.	Do I fix cars?
You fix cars.	You do not fix cars.	Do you fix cars?
We fix cars.	We do not fix cars.	Do we fix cars?
They fix cars.	They do not fix cars.	Do they fix cars?
He fixes cars. *	He does not fix cars.	Does he fix cars?
She fixes carses. *	She does not fix cars.	Does she fix cars?
It fixes cars. *	It does not fix cars.	Does it fix cars?

To Have

The verb “have” is irregular in positive, third-person forms. This irregular form has been marked below with an asterisk*.

Positive	Negative	Question
I have.	I do not have.	Do I have?
You have.	You do not have.	Do you have?
We have.	We do not have.	Do we have?
They have.	They do not have.	Do they have?
He has. *	He does not have.	Does he have?
She has. *	She does not have.	Does she have?
It has. *	It does not have.	Does it have?

To Be

The verb “be” is irregular in the Simple Present. It also has different question forms and negative forms.

Positive	Negative	Question
I am.	I am not.	Am I?
You are.	You are not.	Are you?
We are.	We are not.	Are we?
They are.	They are not.	Are they?
He is.	He is not.	Is he?
She is.	She is not.	Is she?
It is.	It is not.	Is it?

Simple Present Uses

It’s super easy!

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the simple present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.

Examples:

I play tennis.
She does not play tennis.
Does he play tennis?
The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
The train does not leave at 9 AM.
When does the train usually leave?
She always forgets her purse.
He never forgets his wallet.
Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
Does the Sun circle the Earth?

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The simple present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.
Examples:
• Cats like milk.
• Birds do not like milk.
• Do pigs like milk?
• California is in America.
• California is not in the United Kingdom.
• Windows are made of glass.
• Windows are not made of wood.
• New York is a small city. It is not important that this fact is untrue.

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use simple present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.

Examples:

The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.
The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
When do we board the plane?
The party starts at 8 o’clock.
When does class begin tomorrow?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the simple present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with non-continuous verbs and certain mixed verbs.

Examples:

I am here now.
She is not here now.
He needs help right now.
He does not need help now.
He has his passport in his hand.
Do you have your passport with you?

Podcast

Podcast Simple Present

Feynman

Hello everyone, I’m Feynman. Today I’m hoping to learn about a fundamental yet often misunderstood aspect of English grammar: the simple present tense. I’ve invited Einstein to help explain these concepts to me.

Einstein

I’m happy to be here, Feynman. I’m Einstein, and I’ve been studying a comprehensive guide on the simple present. This material covers its forms, uses, and some common pitfalls, and I’ll try to explain it in simple terms.

Feynman

The simple present seems, well, simple. But I often get confused about when to use it. What’s the core idea behind this tense?

Einstein

That’s a great starting point! According to the guide, the simple present is primarily used to show repetition, habit, or generalization. Think of things that happen regularly, are generally true, or are part of a routine.

Feynman

So, like ‘I brush my teeth every morning’ or ‘The sun rises in the east’? Those are repeated actions or general truths.

Einstein

Exactly! The guide calls these ‘repeated actions’ and ‘facts or generalizations.’ For example, ‘She does not play tennis’ indicates a habit, and ‘Cats like milk’ is a generalization. It’s about what usually happens or is generally true.

Feynman

Okay, that makes sense. But I’ve also heard it can be used for things happening in the near future, which seems counter-intuitive for a ‘present’ tense. How does that work?

Einstein

That’s an interesting exception! The guide explains that the simple present can be used for ‘scheduled events in the near future.’ This is most common with public transportation, like ‘The train leaves tonight at 6 PM,’ but it applies to other fixed schedules too, such as ‘The party starts at 8 o’clock.’

Feynman

Ah, so it’s for things that are already set in stone, like a timetable. Not something you’ve just decided to do. That clarifies it. What about the forms? I remember something about adding an ‘s’?

Einstein

You’re right! For most verbs, it’s just the base form, like ‘You speak English.’ But for the third person singular – he, she, or it – we add an ‘-s’ or ‘-es.’ So, ‘He speaks English.’

Feynman

And for questions and negatives, we use ‘do’ or ‘does,’ right? Like ‘Do you speak English?’ and ‘He does not speak English.’

Einstein

Precisely! ‘Do’ for ‘I, you, we, they’ and ‘does’ for ‘he, she, it.’ The guide also mentions that sometimes the simple present can describe actions happening now, but only with ‘non-continuous verbs’ like ‘I am here now’ or ‘He needs help right now.’

Feynman

So, if I understand correctly, the simple present is mainly for habits, routines, and general truths. It can also be used for fixed future schedules, and occasionally for current states with certain verbs. And we add an ‘s’ for ‘he, she, it’ in statements, and use ‘do’ or ‘does’ for questions and negatives. Is that a good summary?

Einstein

That’s an excellent summary, Feynman! You’ve captured the core uses and forms perfectly. You could definitely explain this to someone else now. That’s the power of breaking down complex ideas into simple components.

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Simple Present

an in depth look at the simple present tense

Most Verbs

To Have

To Be

USE 1 Repeated Actions

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

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