Categories: GrammarTenses

Simple Present Tense – English Grammar

This post include detailed expressions of Simple Present Tense in english. Please follow the list;

The tenses simply show the time of an action.

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
Simple Present Tense indicates an action which happens in the present, but it isn’t necessary for actions to happen right now. Simple present tense indicates, unchanging situations, general truths, scientific facts, habits, fixed arrangements and frequently occuring events.

POSITIVE FORM (+) : Subject ( I, You, We, They ) + V₁( First Form of Verb )

Subject ( He, She, It ) + VERB – S / ES / IES

NEGATIVE FORM (-) : Subject ( I, You, We, They ) + do not / don’t + V₁( First Form of Verb )

Subject ( He, She, It ) + does not / doesn’t + V₁( First Form of Verb )

QUESTION FORM (?) : Do + Subject ( I, You, We, They ) + V₁( First Form of Verb )

Does + Subject ( He, She, It ) + V₁( First Form of Verb )

NEGATIVE QUESTION FORM (?) : Do not ( Don’t ) + Subject ( I, You, We, They ) + V₁( First Form of Verb )

Does not ( Doesn’t ) + Subject ( He, She, It ) + V₁( First Form of Verb)

SHORT ANSWER FORMS ( + / – ) : YES / NO + Subject ( I, You, We, They )+ do / do not (don’t)

( + / – ) : YES / NO + Subject ( He, She, It ) + does / does not (doesn’t)

[table]

POSITIVE(+) | NEGATIVE(-) | POSITIVE QUESTION (?) |NEGATIVE QUESTION (?)

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Notes:

1. In Simple Present Tense, we add the suffix -s at the end of the verbs for the third singular subjects ( He, She, It ) . On the other hand, we use first forms of the verbs for other subjects ( I, You, We, You, They).

2. Although we add the suffix -s at the end of the verb for the third singular subjects in possitive sentences, We remove the suffix -s at the end of the verb in questions and negative sentences because of being used ‘does’ or ‘doesn’t’ as an auxillary verb.

Common tense markers:

Every day, week, month, night, year, summer, etc. / These days / Nowadays / Always / All the time / Most of the time / Never / Often / Rarely / Sometimes / Usually

Examples:

My mother doesn’t let go to the movies with my friends.
Do you prefer your coffee black?
I put the keys on the table.
The teacher shouts at us all the time.
I don’t have any brothers or sisters.
Does coffee grow in Brazil?
Do not ( Don’t ) you get tea?

Notes:

We use other question words ( Like Who, What, Why , How much / many, How often etc.) in present tense.

Question Words (who, what, why, how much / many, how often etc.) + do / does + subject pronoun ( he, she, it, I, you, we, they) + V₁ ( First Form of Verb )

Examples:

Where do you wait for him every month?
How often does he call you?
Why do you always do this?
How much does it cost?
How often do you use the internet?

USING OF SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE:

1. Simple Present Tense expresses habits and repeated (regular) actions.

Examples:

She gets up early in the mornings.
The child drinks milk every day.
I go to the school by servis car.
Thomas always listens to slow musics.
I don’t like playing football.
Nowadays, almost all of the children spend most of their day in front of television.
Sarah usually comes to the work on foot.
He eats breakfast everday.
They never write letter to me.
I brush my teeth twice a day.
My mother always criticizes me.
Do you like going to school every day ?
I feed my fish every day at 8 o’clock in the morning.
She doesn’t listen to the radio very much.
We like spend time at home.
He goes to the hospital for dialysis three days a week.
You rarely sleep late.
Do you like getting up early on Sundays?

2. Present Tense expresses general truths or scientific facts.

Examples:

The sun does not turn around the Earth.
Dogs love bone.
Water boils at 100 ^o C.
The Moon revolves around the Earth.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Cats like playing with ball.
It never snows in summer.
Water freezes at zero centigrade degree.
Mouses like cheese.

3. Present Tense expresses scheduled programs or arranged future.

Examples:

The bus leaves at 08:00 am on Tuesdays.
The examination starts at 9 o’clock tomorrow.
The train leaves for Paris at 10:00 pm.
The lesson starts at nine every day.
The plane leaves at 10:30 in the evening.
The program starts every day at 10:30 am on weekdays.
My brother comes tomorrow.
The bus goes at half past 5 pm.
The film starts at 8 o’clock every week.
The festival starts on April 15th and closes on May 15th.

4. Simple Present Tense is used for instantaneous situations ( like sports commentaries)

Examples:

Ronaldo passes the ball to Benzema.
Anthony maintains his lead over the other tennis players.

5. We can use simple present tense when telling stories.

Examples:

Superman opens the door and enters to the room.
Suddenly, the window opens and a masket man enters.

6. This tense is also used to give directions and instructions

Examples:

Go straight along the road and turn left at the corner.
Pour the contents into a large container and mix with milk.
First of all, break the eggs and whisk with sugar.

7. This tense is also used in ceremonial and formal conversations.

Examples:

I name this ship as ‘Freedom’.
I pronounce you man and wife.
I invite the president to the stage

8. Newspaper headlines usually are expressed in simple present tense.

Examples:

PEACE TALKS FAIL
GREAT EARTHQUAKE KIILS 1000 PEOPLE IN SAN FRANCISCO
MAN ENTERS SPACE
TITANIC SINKS, 1500 DIE

9. We often use present tense to talk about the future in clauses with time words ( like after, when, before, as soon as, until)

Examples:

I will call you before I leave.
Teachers will announce when students come to the school.
Charles will buy himself a mobile phone after he arrives America.
He’ll do it when he come back home.
As soon as you push this button the door will open.
You will tidy up the room until I come home from the outside.

10. We can also use simple present tense with non- progressive or non-action verbs which do not receive suffix – ing and generally express the situation, emotion, desire, ownership and thought. They do not include action ( like sitting, getting up, running, sleeping, drinking, eating).

We can add ‘–ing’ at the end of these verbs if these verbs include action.

Examples: