Simple Present Tense: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know what the simple present tense is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on simple present tenses, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

Your writing, at its best

Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant

Start writing

What is the simple present tense?

According to Walden, there are many different forms of verbs in the English language, from a simple form of the verb to complex:

  •   Past participle tense
  •   Simple future tense
  •   Simple present tense
  •   Present indicative tense
  •   Present perfect tense
  •   Future perfect progressive tense
  •   Simple conditional tense
  •   Past progressive/continuous tense
  •   Conditional perfect progressive tense
  •   Present participle tense
  •   Imperative tense
  •   Indicative tense
  •   Conditional perfect tense
  •   Present perfect progressive/continuous tense
  •   Conditional progressive tense
  •   Infinitive tense
  •   Present perfect continuous tense
  •   Future perfect tense
  •   Past progressive tense
  •   Past perfect tense
  •   Past perfect progressive tense
  •   Future progressive tense
  •   Bare infinitive tense
  •   Conditional tense
  •   Perfect passive tense
  •   Simple past tense
  •   Present continuous tense
  •   To-infinitive tense
  •   Gerund tense or gerund phrase 
  •   Subjunctive tense
  •   Present progressive tense
  •   Present perfect progressivTher e tense 

Today we will cover the simple present tense. According to EF, the simple present tense describes habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements. The simple tense uses the base form of the verb, and the third person singular takes an “s” or “es” at the end. For “es,” these are usually verbs whose root form ends in o, ch, sh, th, ss, gh, or z. If the verb ends in y, this changes to “ies.” These are the rules for regular verbs, but there are also irregular verbs. The simple present tense forms come in three forms: affirmative simple present, interrogative simple present (question forms), and negative simple present.

In English grammar, the simple present tense in its positive and negative forms is a verb tense that is used to talk about routine, emotions, repeated actions, schedules, and more. This can be done in first-person singular, second-person singular, third-person singular, first-person plural, second-person plural, and third-person plural.

Many different languages also contain words that mean simple present tense. You may notice that some of these translations of simple present tense look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that likely have the same root or language of origin, causing them to sound the same. The below list of translations of simple present tense is provided by Word Sense. 

  •  Mandarin: 一般現在時‎, 一般现在时‎ (yībān xiànzàishí)
  •  French: indicatif présent‎, présent‎
  •  Spanish: presente‎
  •  Dutch: onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd v O.V.T.
  •  Persian: حال ساده‎ (hâl-e sâde)
  •  Italian: indicativo presente‎
  •  German: Gegenwart‎
  •  Finnish: preesens‎

What are examples of the simple present tense?

Take a look at these examples from English Study Page:

  •  We go to a gallery every Sunday.
  •  She plays basketball.
  •  He loves to play basketball.
  •  Every child likes an ice cream.
  •  My cat runs very fast.
  •  We go to the gym club together.
  •  John cleans his hamsters’ cage on Tuesdays.
  •  It usually rains every day I have an exam.
  •  It smells very delicious in the kitchen.
  •  We see them every week on Saturdays.
  •  The train does not leave at 10 AM.
  •  I do love my new pets.
  •  You don’t listen to me.
  •  I run four miles every morning.
  •  He doesn’t teach math.
  •  Does she live in Paris?
  •  The Queen of England lives in Buckingham Palace.
  •  She doesn’t use a computer.
  •  Does she drink coffee?
  •  She swims every morning.
  •  It snows a lot in winter in Russia.
  •  We live in Texas.
  •  She has a beehive full of bees.
  •  California is in America.
  •  They speak English in USA.
  •  I like geography and science.
  •  They sleep in the afternoon.
  •  My daughter does the laundry.
  •  Do you like spaghetti?
  •  She likes bananas.
  •  I don’t like tea.
  •  We cook every day.
  •  I don’t wash the dishes.
  •  I like reading detective stories.
  •  She doesn’t see Peter every day.
  •  She wants to be a dentist.
  •  The train leaves every morning at 9 AM.
  •  My brother’s dog barks a lot.
  •  My mother never lies.
  •  The earth goes round the sun.
  •  Does he play tennis?
  •  Michael doesn’t work.
  •  Cows eat grass.
  •  The children are at home.
  •  You have some schoolwork to do.
  •  She writes an e-mail to her best friend.
  •  My father doesn’t speak good English.
  •  I have no money at the moment.
  •  Julie talks very fast.
  •  You go to holiday every summer.
  •  My son lives in London.
  •  He goes to school.
  •  The sun rises at the east.
  •  You run to the party.
  •  I love my new pets.
  •  She doesn’t teach chemistry.
  •  He drives to work.
  •  They don’t have any money.
  •  Does he go to school?
  •  My Dad never works on the weekends.
  •  Mary enjoys cooking.
  •  He goes to football every day.
  •  We generally sing songs all together.
  •  Tomorrow, early morning, I go to do my morning walk.
  •  Water freezes at 0°C.
  •  Mary brushes her teeth twice a day.
  •  It doesn’t rain here in the summer.
  •  My brother takes out the trash.
  •  My boyfriend loves this song.
  •  George brushes his teeth twice a day.
  •  When do they usually talk to each other?
  •  She goes to work by car.
  •  My sister works at the theater.
  •  Do you eat ice cream?
  •  Cats hate water.
  •  He thinks he is very handsome.
  •  Do pigs like milk?
  •  He catches the train every morning.
  •  He gets up early every day.
  •  The course starts next Sunday.
  •  The train leaves in ten minutes.
  •  We drink coffee every morning.
  •  Do they talk a lot ?
  •  You have a big house.
  •  Do we know each other?
  •  They speak English at work.
  •  She doesn’t study German on Monday.
  •  The Earth is spherical.
  •  California is not in the United Kingdom.
  •  How often do you see George?
  •  Does he write an email?

Overall, the simple present tense describes habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements.

Sources:

  1. Glossary of grammatical terms | OED 
  2. Verb Forms: “-ing,” Infinitives, and Past Participles – Grammar – Academic Guides | Walden University 
  3. present tense: meaning, translation, synonyms | Word Sense 
  4. Simple present tense | EF 
  5. 90 Sentences of Simple Present Tense, Example Sentences | English Study Page 
mm

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

Recent Posts

Blasphemy Meaning

Blasphemy Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

AOC Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

Understanding how angel numbers work is important if you’re into numerology. Here is what the number 333 means in love!

333 Angel Number Meaning In Love Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

Leftist Meaning: Here's What It Means and How To Use It

Leftist Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It