Simple Present Tense: A Clear Explanation
The Simple Present Tense is used to talk about actions or situations that are always true, happen regularly, or are happening now.
Structure
01. For positive sentences:
Subject + Base form of the verb (add ‘s’ or ‘es’ for he, she, it)
Examples-:
1. I play football.
2. She reads books.
3. He watches TV.
02. For negative sentences:
Subject + do/does + not + base form of the verb
Examples-:
1. I do not (don’t) like coffee.
2. She does not (doesn’t) eat meat.
03. For questions:
Do/Does + subject + base form of the verb?
Examples-:
1. Do you play tennis?
2. Does he speak English?
When to Use Simple Present Tense
1. Habits or routines:
- I brush my teeth every morning.
- They go to school by bus.
2.Facts or general truths:
- The sun rises in the east.
- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
3.Scheduled events:
- The train leaves at 6 PM.
- The meeting starts at 9 AM.
4.Feelings or emotions:
- She hates spiders.
- I love ice cream.
Key Points to Remember
- Use ‘s’ or ‘es’ with the verb when the subject is he, she, or it (e.g., She runs fast).
- Use ‘do’ with I, you, we, they and ‘does’ with he, she, it in negative sentences and questions.
- The verb in the simple present tense usually stays in its base form (without -ing, -ed, etc.).