Simple Present Tense

 

Simple Present Tense

How do we make the Simple Present Tense? 

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
                   do                         base

There are three important exceptions: 

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.

2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.

3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.
Look at these examples with the main verb like;

Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:

How do we use the Simple Present Tense? 

We use the simple present tense when:

• the action is general
• the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future
• the action is not only happening now

the statement is always true

Look at these examples: 

• I live in New York.
• The Moon goes round the Earth.
• John drives a taxi.
• He does not drive a bus.
• We do not work at night.
• Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not 

general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb 

"to be" in the simple present tense—some of them are general, some of them are now:

This page shows the use of the simple present 

tense to talk about general events. But note 

that there are some other uses for the simple 

present tense, for example in conditional or if

sentences, or to talk about the future. You 

will learn about those later.