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Present Simple Tense: How To Use It Correctly (With Examples)

The present simple tense is probably the first tense that you learned when studying English at school. While most learners know that this tense is commonly used for describing actions that happen in the present moment, it also has many other usages! In this post, we will explore the correct uses of the present simple tense and explain how you can avoid common mistakes with it. Check out the interactive quiz at the end to test your knowledge!

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Uses of the Present Simple Tense

1. Repeated actions or events

You can use the simple present tense to say that something is done repeatedly. This may include past occurrences of the event, as well as seeing into the future to say that you will continue to do it.

1. Repeated actions or events

Steve plays table tennis with his friend every Saturday.
Every time Steve loses the game, he cries.
It always takes Steve days to recover.

2. Habits

Similarly, you can talk about habits, which are things that you do often.

2. Habits

Rachel only eats cereal at weekends.
On Sundays, Rachel watches TV all day.
Rachel sometimes buys an ice cream in the park.

3. Facts, truths, generalisations

Another common use of the simple present tense is to express something that is true, as a fact or generalisation. 

3. Facts, truths, generalizations

The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Water makes up most of the Earth’s surface.
The gravitational pull of the Moon creates tidal patterns on Earth.

4. Fixed arrangements

You can use the simple present tense to talk about something that has been arranged to happen at a fixed time, in the near future.

4. Fixed arrangements

The match begins at 7pm this evening.
The fans pick up their tickets in advance.
The manager gives an interview after the match.

5. With future constructions

The simple present tense can be used with future constructions to describe something that happens at a future time.

5. With future constructions

The taxi driver will be holding a sign when you arrive at the airport.
After you meet him, the taxi driver will take you to the hotel.
Remember to collect your baggage before you leave the airport!

6. Instructions or directions

The simple present tense is also commonly seen on instructions or directions telling you what to do, or how to do something.

6. Instructions or directions

Take off the lid of the pot.
Pour the sauce sachet in and stir the noodles.
Leave to rest for 5 minutes and enjoy!

7. With ‘now’ and non-continuous verbs

Another use of the simple present tense is to express that something is happening in the present moment, using a non-continuous verb (a verb that cannot be used in a continuous tense – e.g. the present continuous tense).

7. With ‘now’ and non-continuous verbs

There are now many ways to pay online.
I now use my mobile phone to pay for most things.
I now find it much quicker to get what I need.

How do we form the Present Simple Tense?

There can be affirmative (positive), negative, and questioning functions for all of the uses of the simple present tense.

To form the simple present tense, use the root form of the verb, with the exception of the 3rd person singular (he/she/it). 

For regular cases of the 3rd person singular, add an ‘s’.
E.g. Rachel plays the guitar every day.
Jack walks to school in the morning.

For verbs ending in -ss, -x, -sh, -ch, add ‘-es’.
E.g. My greedy dog munches food all day long.
The baby’s mother often kisses her.

For verbs ending in ‘-y’, change the ‘-y’ to ‘-ies’.
Eg.  The baby cries when her mother is not around.
Paul tries very hard at school, but does not achieve great results.

NOTE: There is an exception to the ‘y’ rule! If there is a vowel before the ‘y’, then add ‘-s’ after the ‘y’.
E.g. The football team plays 5-a-side as a warm-up before every match.

Affirmative

1st person singularI loveI playI munchI comply
2nd person singularYou loveYou playYou munchYou comply
3rd person singularHe/she/it lovesHe/she/it playsHe/she/it munchesHe/she/it complies
1st person pluralWe loveWe playWe muchWe comply
2nd person pluralYou loveYou playYou munchYou comply
3rd person pluralThey loveThey playThey munchThey comply

To form the negative in the simple present tense, the auxiliary verb ‘to do’ is placed after the subject. In all cases except the 3rd person singular, the base form ‘do’ is used. For the 3rd person singular, the form changes to ‘does’.

‘Not’ is placed after the auxiliary to make it a negative. The verb then follows.

It is common to shorten the negative form to ‘don’t’ (or ‘doesn’t’ for the 3rd person singular) in more informal or conversational English. This is called ‘contraction’ (shortening). We usually use contractions when speaking English, but not in formal writing.

Negative

1st person singularI do not loveI do not playI do not munchI do not comply
2nd person singularYou do not loveYou do not playYou do not munchYou do not comply
3rd person singularHe/she/it does not loveHe/she/it does not playHe/she/it does not munchHe/she/it does not comply
1st person pluralWe do not loveWe do not playWe do not muchWe do not comply
2nd person pluralYou do not loveYou do not playYou do not munchYou do not comply
3rd person pluralThey do not loveThey do not playThey do not munchThey do not comply

To form the interrogative (a question), put the auxiliary verb (‘do’, or ‘does’ for 3rd person singular) before the subject.

To form an interrogative that is negative, place ‘not’ after the auxiliary verb. You can also use contracted forms.

E.g. Don’t you love me anymore?

Interrogative

1st person singularDo I loveDo I playDo I munchDo I comply
2nd person singularDo you loveDo you playDo you munchDo you comply
3rd person singularDoes he/she/it loveDoes he/she/it playDoes he/she/it munchDoes he/she/it comply
1st person pluralDo we loveDo we playDo we munchDo we comply
2nd person pluralDo you loveDo you playDo you munchDo you comply
3rd person pluralDo they loveDo they playDo they munchDo they comply
Interrogative
1st person singularDo I loveDo I playDo I munchDo I comply
2nd person singularDo you loveDo you playDo you munchDo you comply
3rd person singularDoes he/she/it loveDoes he/she/it playDoes he/she/it munchDoes he/she/it comply
1st person pluralDo we loveDo we playDo we munchDo we comply
2nd person pluralDo you loveDo you playDo you munchDo you comply
3rd person pluralDo they loveDo they playDo they munchDo they comply
There are common ‘signal words’ that help us to know when to use the present simple. These include: always, often, usually, sometimes, seldom, never.

Common mistakes with Present Simple (and how to avoid them!)

1. Adding an auxiliary verb when not needed

Sometimes, learners will add an auxiliary verb before the main verb when it is not required. To form the simple present tense in the affirmative, there is no need to add an auxiliary verb.

E.g.  I am wash the dishes after dinner. (incorrect)
I wash the dishes after dinner. (correct)

If you want to emphasise the affirmative when using the simple present tense, you can add the auxiliary verb ‘do’. This verb makes it clear that you are definitely doing something, and is often used when answering a question or making a correction. E.g. I do wash the dishes!
2. Leaving out the ‘s’ ending in the 3rd person singular

Since the simple present tense uses the base conjugation for all cases (except the 3rd person singular!), sometimes learners will forget to add the ‘s’ that comes at the end of the verb for this special case.

E.g. When Martin get   upset, I try to leave him alone. (incorrect)
When Martin gets upset, I try to leave him alone. (correct)

3. Adding a future construction when not needed

For the special function of the simple present tense to be used to describe future events, sometimes learners incorrectly add a future construction. In fact, just the regular simple present tense is all that is needed.

E.g. We’ll pick you up from school as soon as you’ll finish. (incorrect)
We’ll pick you up from school as soon as you finish. (correct)

Present Simple Tense: Quiz exercises

Test your understanding of the present simple with these exercises. Select the correct answer for each of the questions and get your score at the end of the quiz. You can also share your result via social media and challenge your friends to try it too!

  1. He _____ to work every day to get his 10,000 steps in.
    A. Is walk
    B. walks
    C. walk
    D. Is walks
  2. Does this sentence contain the correct usage of the simple present tense?
    ‘When we fly, we will always take sweets to eat on the plane.’
    A. Yes
    B. No
  3. Planets in the solar system ______ around the Sun.
    A. Orbit
    B. They orbit
    C. Are orbit
    D. Orbiting
  4. Losing is never easy, especially since our team tends to _____.
    A. Have win
    B. Have won
    C. Win
    D. Wins
  5. Is this sentence grammatically correct?
    ‘You not study every night?’
    A. Yes
    B. No 
  6. Jack and Jill often ____ to water the plants.
    A. Forgot
    B. Forgets
    C. Forget
    D. Have forget
  7. The gardeners ____ care of plants better than Jack and Jill.
    A. Take
    B. taken
    C. have taken
    D. takes.
  8. The sun _____ very brightly in the winter.
    A. Shine
    B. Shine not
    C. Doesn’t shines
    D. Doesn’t shine
  9. We will still go to the party, even if you ______.
    A. Don’t
    B. Will do
    C. Does
  10. Since I ____ so good at piano, I am also thinking of learning the flute.
    A. Am
    B. play
    C. Are 

Answers:

  1. D
  2. A
  3. A
  4. C
  5. B
  6. C
  7. A
  8. D
  9. A
  10. A
Click here to download this post via our mobile website!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Written by Alex Jude —
ESL Specialist & CEO at Online Teachers UK

Alex Jude is the Founder & CEO of Online Teachers UK. He holds a BA hons degree in Linguistics from The University of Manchester and is a life-long English teacher. Following graduation, he spent 2002-2012 living and teaching in Russia, where he lectured in General Linguistics and Translation Studies. Alex is a fluent Russian speaker and worked with the BBC at the World Cup in 2018. In his spare time, he enjoys camping/bushcraft, playing guitar and watching rugby league.

Written by Alex Jude —
ESL Specialist & CEO at Online Teachers UK