Present Simple Tense: Definition, Rules and Useful Examples

Learn Present Simple Tense in English with their rules and example sentences. This lesson is going to be very helpful for you because it contains the whole present simple tense in English with helpful structure, usage, and example sentences. Learn and enhance your knowledge about tenses.

Table of Contents

What is Present Simple (Simple Present) Tense?

You are employing a routine when you use the present simple. You always do it every day, every month, or every year. Instead, you never do it.

Usage of the Simple Present Tense

Four general situations are commonly covered by the simple present tense:

To communicate truths, generalizations, and concepts that are universally understood.
To describe routine behaviors, practices, and occasions.
To describe future plans and events.
To communicate sporting events in real-time and to tell jokes and stories.

Read more about: 12 Tenses in English

Talking about an action that the subject is currently carrying out in the present is one of the main things that simple present-tense verbs are not useful for. The present participles are used more frequently in that context.

The regular verbs in the first-person, second-person, and third-person plural forms are simple and frequently identical to the verb’s infinitive form.

Examples:

Infinitive: To Go
First Person: I go or we go
Second Person: You go
Third Person: He goes/They go

Infinitive: To study
First Person: I study/We study
Second Person: You study
Third Person: She studies/They study

Infinitive: To Mix
First Person: I Mix/We Mix
Second Person: You Mix
Third Person: He mixes/They mix

Read more about: Present Continuous Tense

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE EXAMPLES:

I, You, We, and They: travel every day.
He, She, and It: travels every day.

Simple Present Tense with “TO BE” (am/is/are)

Affirmative sentence:

S + am/is/are + predicate…

Examples:

He is a lawyer.
I am happy with my progress in learning a new language.
She is excited about her upcoming vacation to Europe.
They are talented musicians who perform regularly at local events.
He is a dedicated employee who always arrives on time.
We are grateful for the support of our friends and family.

Negative Sentence:

S + am/is/are + not + predicate…

Examples:

He isn’t a lawyer.
She isn’t happy with her current job.
They aren’t interested in attending the meeting tomorrow.
He isn’t ready to make a decision yet.
We aren’t sure if this is the right way to go.
The weather isn’t always sunny in this part of the country.
Read more: Negative Sentence

Interrogative Sentence:

Am/Is/Are + S + predicate?

Examples:

Is he a lawyer?
Are you ready to leave for the airport?
Is she the new manager of the department?
Are they coming to the party tonight?
Is he your brother’s best friend?
Are we meeting at the usual place for lunch?
Read more: Interrogative Sentences

Simple Present Tense with Other Verbs

Affirmative sentence:

S + verb + object…

Examples:

We enjoy tea.
She drinks coffee every morning before work.
They play basketball at the park every Saturday.
He reads a book before bedtime every night.
We eat dinner together as a family every evening.
The train arrives at the station at 7:00 AM sharp.

Negative sentence:

S + don’t/doesn’t + verb + object…

Examples:

We don’t enjoy tea.
She does not enjoy going to the gym after work.
They do not study French on weekends.
He does not like to eat spicy food.
We do not play tennis in the rain.
The cat does not chase mice in the daytime.

Interrogative sentence:

Do/Does + S + verb + object?

Examples:

Do you enjoy tea?
Do you enjoy hiking in the mountains?
Does she speak Spanish fluently?
Do they practice yoga every morning?
Does he play the guitar in a band?
Do we need to finish this project by tomorrow?

Examples of the Simple Present Tense

We go to the city every week.
Every January 1st, my wife and I raise a glass in celebration of the new year.
How much do the workers in your company get paid?
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Do you like my dog?
At night, when your dog barks, we wake up.
Do you feed my kids before sending them off to school?
The best student in the class studies twice as much as anyone.

How to Use the Simple Present

The Present Simple tense is used to express:

General Truth

Example:

A magnet attracts iron.
The Earth revolves around the sun.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Plants require sunlight for photosynthesis.
The sky appears blue during the day due to scattering of sunlight.
Sound travels faster through solids than through gases.

Habits

Example:

I play cricket every week.
She drinks a cup of tea every morning.
They go for a jog in the park every evening.
He brushes his teeth twice a day.
We listen to music while cooking dinner.
The children play video games after finishing their homework.

Future Timetables

Example:

Our bus leaves at 10 am.
The train departs at 8:00 AM tomorrow.
The concert starts at 7:30 PM next Saturday.
The conference begins at 9:00 AM next month.
The flight leaves for Paris at 3:00 PM on Friday.
The museum opens at 10:00 AM every day next week.

Future after “When”, “Until”…

Example:

I will not go out until a final decision is made.
When the clock strikes midnight, the new year begins.
We’ll wait here until the rain stops.
He’ll call you as soon as he arrives home.
Until she finishes her chores, she can’t go out to play.
When the bus arrives, we’ll board and head to the city center.

Permanent Situations

Example:

He works in a gym.
She lives in New York City.
They own a house by the beach.
He works as a teacher at the local school.
We have two cats as pets.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

For Newspaper Headlines

Example:

A man enters space.
New Study Reveals Surprising Health Benefits of Green Tea.
Local Artist Wins Prestigious Art Competition.
Government Announces New Initiative to Combat Homelessness.
Company Launches Innovative Technology to Tackle Climate Change.
Expert Warns of Potential Cybersecurity Threats in Coming Months.

With Non-progressive

Example:

I believe that you are pure.
I own a car.
She believes in ghosts.
They understand the importance of education.
He loves chocolate ice cream.
We prefer to travel by train.

When Telling Stories

Example:

Suddenly, the window opens, and a black man enters.
The story begins with a young boy who lives in a small village.
As he walks through the forest, he encounters a mysterious old man.
The old man tells him about a magical treasure hidden deep in the mountains.
Excited, the boy decides to embark on a journey to find the treasure.
Along the way, he faces numerous challenges but never loses hope of reaching his goal.

Giving Directions and Instructions

Example:

First of all, break the eggs and mix them with chili.
First, you turn left at the traffic light.
Then, you walk straight for about 200 meters.
After that, you cross the bridge over the river.
Next, you take the second right onto Maple Street.
Finally, you’ll find the café on your left-hand side.

Read more about: 80+ Sentences of Present Perfect

Notes for the Present Simple

The basic form of the simple present is the same as the base form of the verb.

For pronouns I, you, we, and they, there is no modification for verbs.
For pronouns he, she, and it, a suffix is added following these rules:

For verbs that end in –o, –ch, –sh, –s, –x, or –z, the suffix –es is added

Examples:

Do – Does
Touch – Touches
Fix – Fixes

For verbs that end in a consonant + y, the letter y is replaced by the suffix –ies.

Examples:

Try – Tries
Study – Studies
Carry – Carries

In other cases, the suffix –s is added.

Examples:

Cook – Cooks
Say – Says
Laugh – laughs

Time Expressions in the Present Simple Tense

This evening
At 10 am
When
Until
As soon as
After
Before
Twice a month
Every Tuesday
Often
Sometimes

Simple Present Tense | Chart

50 Sentences in the Present Tense

1	He earns his livelihood by selling tickets.	26	We believe the earth is 4.6 billion years old.
2	I love studying old books.	27	Tom takes exercises regularly.
3	Ali works as a bank manager.	28	He goes to a hill station during summer vacations.
4	Ahmad deals in stationery.	29	He works hard to achieve the target sales.
5	Kiara eats only fish.	30	This road leads to the zoo.
6	Order letters to businesses or firms are included, as are their responses.	31	He does not play football.
7	Henry reads books in the library.	32	The students do not spend valuable time studying books.
8	This book covers interview tips and general questions.	33	I don’t particularly appreciate traveling.
9	I like to take tea at night.	34	They do not study together.
10	Kiara eats an egg in the morning.	35	I do not think that I like this skirt.
11	Thousands of families live in this town.	36	I do not know some of your friends.
12	A man of science knows that he has to test and verify his hypothesis.	37	She does not buy me a present.
13	Henry says that the scientific method is, in reality, very simple.	38	He does not attend the class regularly.
14	Professor offers some advice on how to avoid the drawbacks of specialization.	39	Jimmy does not go to the market to buy groceries.
15	Education helps us in achieving the main goals of our life.	40	The gardener does not water the plants.
16	Ahmad bakes cookies for this restaurant.	41	Who wants to bother with History and Geography in this tech era?
17	Each day, I enjoy eight hours of peaceful sleep.	42	Does she cook delicious food?
18	The knowledge of good and evil gives us a moral and spiritual understanding of social problems.	43	Do they help each other in a tough time?
19	Practice makes a man perfect.	44	Does it rain heavily in this town?
20	He loves writing fiction stories.	45	Do you get up early in the morning?
21	My mother loves me from the core of her heart.	46	Does he like these glasses?
22	I need some time to complete this assignment.	47	Does he like these glasses?
23	Henry likes fishing.	48	Why do you show me the book?
24	He writes a diary every night.	49	Do you help me?
25	He writes a book regularly.	50	Do you buy a birthday cake for your friend?