How to use the present simple in English?

In English, we use the simple present tenseNo definition set for tenseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to talk about a situation that exists in the present. This means we use it to talk about everyday actions, customs and habits, facts, thoughts, feelings, and senses.

In this post, we’ll talk first about how to form the present simple, and then we’ll talk about when to use this tense in English. Let’s have a look!

VerbsNo definition set for VerbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in the present simple have two main forms:

Here is what you need to know:

• The root (or base or bare infinitive) is the form of the verb that you find in a dictionary:

  walk (verb) to move by putting one foot in front of the other at an easy pace.

• The present simple form depends on the subject.

  subjectroot

  I walk.

  subjectroot + -s

  She walks.

  In English, the subject is the person or thing that a sentence is “about.” Usually the subject does the action and comes before the verb.

But even in irregular verbs, there is one rule you can always follow:

HOWEVER there are some spelling and pronunciation rules to learn about this third-person No definition set for third-person Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (he / she / it) form.

There are some pronunciation and spelling rules to learn for the root + -sform.

• Pronouncing root + -s

  In most words, the third person singular -s is pronounced just as an [s] or [z] sound:

  sits

  sits

  runs

  runz

  If the word ends in a “hissy” sound like [-s], [-ch], [-sh], [-x], or [-th], you will usually need to add a syllableNo definition set for syllableLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:

  pushes

  push·iz

  passes

  pass·iz

  catches

  catch·iz

• Spelling root + -s

  There are a few spelling rules to learn as well. These do not change the pronunciation.

  • If the verb ends with a -o, add an -es

    go → goes

    do → does

  • If the pronunciation has an extra syllable, spell the ending -es not -s.

    push → pushes

    push·iz

    pass → passes

    pass·iz

    catch → catches

    catch·iz

  • If the verb ends with consonantNo definition set for consonantLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. + -y, you change the -y to -i and add -es.

    fly → flies

    identify → identifies

To form a question or a negative sentence in the present simple, you will need to split the verb into two parts:

• do / does = the auxiliary verb (or “helping verb”)

  Auxiliary verbs help you place the event in time. The form of the auxiliary depends on the subject.

• root = the main verb

  The main verb tells you what is happening (e.g. see, come, go, have, like,...)

So here is how to form questions and negatives in the present simple:

• Questions in the present simple:

  do / does

  subject

  root

  Do they play football?

  Does she like sushi?

  What do they play?

  What does she like?

  Exception!

  To ask a question about the subject of a sentence, you will just use the present simple of the main verb:

  ✅ Who plays football?

  ❌ Who does play football?

  Check out our post to learn more about forming questions in English!

• Negative sentences in the present simple:

  subject

  do/ does

  not

  root

  I do not have breakfast on Monday.

  You do not read every day.

  Patty does not like sushi.

  Contraction watch!

  You can shorten a negative sentence with a contraction:

  I do not play football → I don’t play football.

  Patty does not like sushi → Patty doesn’t like sushi.

  This is very common when we use not both in speaking and in writing.

Talking about habits

You can use the present simple to talk about habits. A habit can be something that you do every day or all the time:

Example: John’s everyday activities

Every weekday is the same for me. First I have eggs and ham for breakfast. Then I run around the block three times. Then I go to the bus stop and take the bus to the office. I work from nine to five. After work, I study my English lessons for an hour. Then I go to bed.

👓 Word Watch!

Did you notice these words: every / first / then / after. These are useful words to use when you are talking about a series of actions!

A habit can also describe how someone usually is or generally behaves.

Example: What does Tom’s brother think about him?

Tom is a lazy person. He reads too many comic books. He watches a lot of TV, especially reality shows. He spends hours playing video games on the internet. Does he listen to me when I tell him to exercise? No, he doesn’t listen to me or his dad. He’s just lazy.

Grammar Watch!

Did you see how Tom’s brother made the negatives and the question with the auxiliary do? He doesn’t run in the morning. / Does he listen to me?

Talking about customs

We also use the present simple to talk about customs. Customs are things that we don’t do every day, but we usually do them the same way.

Example: Mary uses the present simple to share her holiday customs with us:

Every Christmas my family gets together for a big dinner. We eat turkey and yams. My mother makes pumpkin pie and pecan pie. My father always puts too much whipped cream on his pie. We exchange gifts, too. I am poor, so I usually make small gifts for my family. Sometimes I prepare chocolate treats. Other times I do a handicraft, like knitting mittens. Everyone enjoys these Christmas traditions.

Word Watch!

Did you see these words: always / usually / sometimes / other times? These are called frequency adverbs. We use them a lot in the present simple.

Stative verbs

We use the present simple when we use stative verbs to talk about the present. Stative verbs are usually verbs for ownership, equivalence, thoughts or feelings, or for senses, but there are some others.

• Ownership → verbs for owning, having, possessing (e.g. have, own, lack, belong to,...)

  ✅ I have a cat .

  ❌ I am having a cat.

  ✅ I own a cat.

  ❌ I am owning a cat.

• Equivalence → verbs that say that two things are the same or that something has a feature (e.g. be, mean, seem, consist of...)

  ✅ She is a doctor.

  ❌ She is being a doctor.

  ✅ What does “perceive” mean?

  ❌ What is “perceive” meaning?

• Thoughts → verbs that describe beliefs (e.g. ,think believe, understand,...)

  ✅ I think that this is clear.

  ❌ I am thinking that this is clear.

  ✅ My son believes in fairies.

  ❌ My son is believing in fairies.

• Feelings → verbs that describe emotions (e.g. love, like, agree, enjoy,...)

  ✅ He loves cheese.

  ✅ We enjoy arguing.

• Perceptions → verbs for the senses (e.g. see, hear, feel,taste , smell)

  ✅ I see the bird!

  ✅ She hears the lawnmower.

Tip

For more examples, exceptions, and details, look at our English stative verbs reference sheet!

Have a look at these example stories which illustrate how to use stative verbs in the present simple:

Example:Susan uses the present simple to tell us what she thinks about her English teacher

I think my English teacher is very good. He gives us easy explanations. I believe that easy explanations are important in English class. I don’t always understand my teacher, but I try!

Example:Mike talks about his favorite music

I believe music is very important. I like all kinds of music, but I really love classical music. Beethoven and Bach are my favorites. Do you know what I hate? Country-Western music. This music is too simple for me. I want music to be big and beautiful, not simple and short. That’s what I think.

Example: Patty tells us her thoughts and feelings about sushi

I think sushi is disgusting. I hate it. I see it on a plate and I don’t want to eat it. It smells like fish and I hate fish. It tastes like sea water and it feels like rubber in your mouth. I don’t think I can eat sushi.