The simple present tense
Simple present tense with the verb to be.
The verb 'be' is different from the other verbs in this tense. Here's the positive form. This is sometimes called 'affirmative'.
Positive - Positive Short Form
I am - I'm
you are - you're
he is - he's
she is - she's
it is - it's
we are - we're
they are - they're
Next, here's the negative. You only add 'not'.
Negative - Negative short form
I am not - I'm not
you are not - you aren't
he is not - he isn't
she is not - she isn't
it is not - it isn't
we are not - we aren't
they are not - they aren't
Here's the 'yes / no' question form:
Yes / No Questions
am I ?
are you ?
is he ?
is she ?
is it ?
are we ?
are they ?
Wh Questions
where am I ?
what are you ?
why is he ?
who is she ?
when are we ?
how are they ?
Present simple tense with other verbs
Here's the positive form. It's just the verb with an extra 's' if the subject is 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
Positive
I work
you work
he works
she works
it works
we work
they work
Don't forget the 's'!
For a few verbs, there is a spelling change before the 's'. For example, 'study' becomes 'studies'.
Some verbs have present simple spelling changes with 'he', 'she' or 'it':
Verbs that end in 'y' often change 'y' to 'ie' before 's':
study becomes studies
try becomes tries
marry becomes marries
fly becomes flies
cry becomes cries
Be careful! 'y' doesn't change to 'ie' if the ending is 'ay', 'ey', 'oy', 'uy'. So, play becomes plays, say becomes says, buy becomes buys, enjoy becomes enjoys, stay becomes stays.
Verbs that end in 's', 'sh', 'ch' or 'x' often add 'e' before 's':
pass becomes passes
wash becomes washes
teach becomes teaches
There are also few verbs which are irregular in the present simple:
'have' becomes 'has'
'do' becomes 'does'
'go' becomes 'goes'
To make the negative form, you need to use 'do not' (don't) or ' does not' (doesn't).
Negative
I do not play - I don't play
you do not play - you don't play
he does not play - he doesn't play
she does not play - she doesn't play
it does not play - it doesn't play
we do not play - we don't play
they do not play - they don't play
How about the question form of the present simple tense?
We use 'do' or 'does' before the subject to make the 'yes / no' question:
Yes / No questions
do I play ?
do you play ?
does he play ?
does she play ?
does it play ?
do we play ?
do they play ?
If you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at the front:
Wh Questions
where do I play ?
what do you play ?
why does he play ?
who does she play ?
when do we play ?
how do they play ?
How to use the Present Simple.
1: We use the present simple when something is generally or always true.
People need food.
It snows in winter here.
Two and two make four.
2: We need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent.
Where do you live?
She works in a bank.
I don't like mushrooms.
3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency (such as 'often', 'always' and 'sometimes') in this case, as well as expressions like 'every Sunday' or 'twice a month'.
Do you smoke?
I play tennis every Tuesday.
I don't travel very often.
4: We can also use the present simple for short actions that are happening now. The actions are so short that they are finished almost as soon as you've said the sentence. This is often used with sports commentary.
He takes the ball, he runs down the wing, and he scores!
Future Uses
5: We use the present simple to talk about the future when we are discussing a timetable or a fixed plan. Usually, the timetable is fixed by an organisation, not by us.
School begins at nine tomorrow.
What time does the film start?
The plane doesn't arrive at seven. It arrives at seven thirty.
6: We also use the present simple to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as soon as'. These are sometimes called subordinate clauses of time.
I will call you when I have time.
I won't go out until it stops raining.
I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news.
Conditional Uses
7: We use the present simple in the first and the zero conditionals.
If it rains, we won't come.
If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.