Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense, also known as the present indefinite tense, is one of the most basic and fundamental tenses in English. It is used to describe actions or states that are habitual, factual, or happening currently. This tense is essential for expressing ideas clearly and is widely used in everyday communication. In this article, we will explore in detail, covering its structure, rules, uses, and examples.

What is the Simple Present Tense?

The Present Indefinite Tense is used to describe actions that happen regularly, facts, and routines. It is one of the most used tenses in English, helping to describe actions that are general truths or habitual actions.

•  I work every day.
• She works in a hospital.

Structure of Simple Present Tense

Affirmative Sentences (+)

Formula:
Subject + base verb (s/es for third-person singular) + object

• I eat breakfast at 7 AM.
• He likes coffee.

Negative Sentences (–)

Formula:
Subject + do/does not (don’t/doesn’t) + base verb + object

Interrogative Sentences (?)

Formula:
Do/Does + subject + base verb + object?

Rules for Adding ‘s’ or ‘es’

For third-person singular subjects:

• Add ‘s’ to most verbs: She works every day.
• Add ‘es’ to verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o: He goes to school.
• If the verb ends in a consonant + ‘y’, change the ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’: She tries hard.

Simple Present Tense Chart

Form	Person	Positive	Negative	Interrogative
First	I, We	I study every day.	I do not study on weekends.	Do I study with you?
Second	You	You solve puzzles.	You do not solve problems easily.	Do you solve this puzzle?
Third (S)	He, She, It	He works in an office.	She does not work on Sundays.	Does she work here?
Third (P)	They	They play soccer every weekend.	They do not play basketball.	Do they play on weekends?

 

Time Expressions for Simple Present

Time expressions are often used with the Simple Present Tense to indicate frequency or specific times.

Time Expression	Example
Always	She always drinks tea.
Usually	We usually go to the park.
Often	He often visits his family.
Sometimes	They sometimes eat out.
Never	I never skip my breakfast.
Every day	I work every day.
On Mondays	We study on Mondays.
In the morning	She jogs in the morning.

Examples of Simple Present Tense

✅ Affirmative

• I study English every day.
• We live in Cairo.
• They play football every weekend.
• He drives to work every morning.
• The train arrives at 7 PM.

❌ Negative

• I don’t study in the evening.
• She doesn’t work on Sundays.
• They don’t like fast food.
• He doesn’t play tennis.
• We don’t go to the gym often.

❓ Interrogative

• Do you read books?
• Does he like pizza?
• Do they speak English?
• Does she enjoy reading?
• Do you go to school every day?

Practice of Simple Present Tense

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb:

1. She ______ (go) to the gym every day.
2. ______ you ______ (like) to read books?
3. They ______ (study) for their exams.
4. I ______ (not eat) junk food.
5. He ______ (work) in a hospital.

Answers:

1. goes
2. Do, like
3. study
4. don’t eat
5. works

FAQs

Read More

• Simple Past Tense
• Simple Future Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• 12 Tenses in English