Simple Present

1. Use of the Simple Present

1.1. repeated actions
My friend often draws nice posters.

1.2. things in general

The sun rises in the east.

1.3. fixed arrangements, scheduled events

The plane flies to London every Monday.

1.4. sequence of actions in the present

First I get up, then I have breakfast.

1.5. instructions
Open your books at page 34.

1.6. with special verbs

I understand English.

2. Signal words

every day
often

always

sometimes

never

3. Form

infinitive (3rd person singular he, she, it: infinitive + -s)

4. Examples
4.1. Affirmative sentences in the Simple Present
Long forms Contracted forms
I read books.
You read books. not possible
He reads books.

4.2. Negative sentences in the Simple Present

You must not negate a full verb in English. Always use the auxiliary do for negations and the
infinitive of the verb.
Long forms
Contracted forms
I do not clean the room.
I don't clean the room.
You do not clean the room. You don't clean the room.
He does not clean the room. He doesn't clean the room.

4.3. Questions in the Simple Present

You need the auxiliary do/does and the infinitive of the verb.
Long forms
Contracted forms
Do I play football?
Do you play football? not possible
Does he play football?

English The Easy Way

Everyone Can Learn English !!

Present Simple Verb Tense - English Verb Tense - English

The Easy Way
The present simple is the tense used to describe actions that are timeless. The time and/or place is
stated or understood.
The present simple tense is used in the following situations:

permanent actions actions that happen on a regular basis

facts

statements that are always true

to state existence

to state feeling

static verbs

general actions
Past

Present

Future

I go to school everyday

I live in New York.

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius

I love to go to my English class.

This is a pen.

- See more at: http://english-the-easyway.com/Present_Tense/Present_Simple_Tense.htm#sthash.Y0m4mWQZ.dpuf

imple present tense

The simple present tense is used:

To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and
wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city
(general truth)
To give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.

To express fixed arrangements, present or future:

Your exam starts at 09.00

To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

Be careful! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now.

Examples

For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.
For repeated actions or events
We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer.

For general truths

Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.

For instructions or directions

Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.

For fixed arrangements

His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March

With future constructions

She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.

Forming the simple present tense: to think

Affirmative Interrogative
Negative
I think
Do I think?
I do not think
You think Do you think? You do not think

Affirmative Interrogative
Negative
He thinks Does he think? He does not think
She thinks Does she think? She does not think
It thinks
Does it think? It does not think
We think
Do we think? We do not think.
They think Do they think? They do not think.

Notes on the simple present, third person singular

In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:

he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.
Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary 'DO') + the
infinitive of the verb.
He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.

Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:

fly --> flies, cry --> cries
Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
play --> plays, pray --> prays

Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:

he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

Examples

He goes to school every morning.

She understands English.

It mixes the sand and the water.

He tries very hard.

She enjoys playing the piano.

The PRESENT TENSE uses the verb's base form (write, work), or, for thirdperson singular subjects, the base form plus an -s ending (he writes, she works).
The PRESENT TENSE indicates that an action is present, now, relative to the speaker or
writer. Generally, it is used to describe actions that are factual or habitual -- things that
occur in the present but that are not necessarily happening right now: "It rains a lot in
Portland" is a kind of timeless statement. Compare that to the present progressive -- "It is
raining in Portland" -- which means that something is, in fact, going on right now. "I use
my bike to get around town." is in the present, but I'm not actually on my bike right now.

An instantaneous sense of the present can be conveyed with either the simple present or the
progressive: "Watch him now: he holds [is holding] down the control key at the same time
that he presses [is pressing] the letter d."
The present tense is used to describe events that are scheduled (by nature or by people):
"High tide is at 3:15 p.m. The Super Bowl starts at 6:15 p.m."
The present tense can be used to suggest the past with what is sometimes called the fictional
(or historic) present: "We were watching the back door when, all of a sudden, in walks
Dierdre." With verbs of communicating, the present tense can also suggest a past action:
"Dierdre tells me that she took her brother to the dentist." Most oddly, the present tense
can convey a sense of the future, especially with verbs such as arrive, come, and leave that
suggest a kind of plan or schedule: "The train from Boston arrives this afternoon at two
o'clock."
Authority for this section: A University Grammar of English by Randolph Quirk and Sidney
Greenbaum. Longman Group: Essex, England. 1993. Used with permission.

Present tense habitual activities are frequently signaled by time expressions such as the
following:
all the time
always
every class
every day
every holiday
every hour

every month
every
semester
every week
every year
most of the
time
never

often
rarely
sometimes
usually

I walk to work every day.

The Chicago Bulls sometimes practice in this gymnasium.
Dr. Espinoza operates according to her own schedule.
Coach Calhoun recruits from countries outside the U.S.A.
Tashonda tells me she has committed to UConn.
We work really hard to make this a success, and then look what happens.
Every time that kid finishes a sandcastle, the waves come in and wash it away.
The shipment arrives tomorrow at 2 p.m

he present tense is the base form of the verb: I work in London.

But the third person (she/he/it) adds an -s: She works in London.
Use
We use the present tense to talk about:

something that is true in the present:

Im nineteen years old.

He lives in London.
Im a student.

something that happens again and again in the present:

I play football every weekend.

We use words like sometimes, often. always, and never (adverbs of frequency) with the present
tense:
I sometimes go to the cinema.
She never plays football.

something that is always true:

The adult human body contains 206 bones.

Light travels at almost 300,000 kilometres per second.

something that is fixed in the future.

The school term starts next week.

The train leaves at 1945 this evening.
We fly to Paris next week.

Questions and negatives

Look at these questions:
Do you play the piano?
Where do you live?
Does Jack play football?
Where does he come from?
Do Rita and Angela live in Manchester?
Where do they work?

With the present tense, we use do and does to make questions. We use does for the third
person (she/he/it) and we use do for the others.

We use do and does with question words like where, what and why:

But look at these questions with who:

Who lives in London?
Who plays football at the weekend?
Who works at Liverpool City Hospital?
Look at these sentences:
I like tennis, but I dont like football. (dont = do not)
I dont live in London now.
I dont play the piano, but I play the guitar.
They dont work at the weekend.
John doesnt live in Manchester. (doesnt = does not)
Angela doesnt drive to work. She goes by bus.

With the present tense we use do and does to make negatives. We use does not (doesnt)
for the third person (she/he/it) and we use do not (dont) for the others.

ORM
[VERB] + s/es in third person
Examples:

You speak English.

Do you speak English?

You do not speak English.

Complete List of Simple Present Forms

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a
habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be
something a person often forgets or usually does not do.
Examples:

I play tennis.
She does not play tennis.

Does he play tennis?

The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.

The train does not leave at 9 AM.

When does the train usually leave?

She always forgets her purse.

He never forgets his wallet.

Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.

Does the Sun circle the Earth?

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now,
and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also
used to make generalizations about people or things.
Examples:

Cats like milk.

Birds do not like milk.

Do pigs like milk?

California is in America.

California is not in the United Kingdom.

Windows are made of glass.

Windows are not made of wood.

New York is a small city. It is not important that this fact is untrue.

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This
is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other
scheduled events as well.
Examples:

The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.

When do we board the plane?

The party starts at 8 o'clock.

When does class begin tomorrow?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is
not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.
Examples:

I am here now.
She is not here now.

He needs help right now.

He does not need help now.

He has his passport in his hand.

Do you have your passport with you?

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever,
still, just, etc.
Examples:

You only speak English.

Do you only speak English?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:

Once a week, Tom cleans the car. Active

Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. Passive

Simple Present Tense

English Grammar Rules
The simple present tense in English is used to describe an action that is regular, true or normal.
We use the present tense:
1. For repeated or regular actions in the present time period.

I take the train to the office.

The train to Berlin leaves every hour.

John sleeps eight hours every night during the week.

2. For facts.

The President of The USA lives in The White House.

A dog has four legs.

We come from Switzerland.

3. For habits.

I get up early every day.

Carol brushes her teeth twice a day.

They travel to their country house every weekend.

4. For things that are always / generally true.

It rains a lot in winter.

The Queen of England lives in Buckingham Palace.

They speak English at work.

Verb Conjugation & Spelling

We form the present tense using the base form of the infinitive (without the TO).
In general, in the third person we add 'S' in the third person.
Subject
Verb
The Rest of the sentence
I / you / we / they speak / learn English at home
he / she / it
speaks / learns English at home
The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb:
1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person.

go goes
catch catches

wash washes

kiss kisses

fix fixes

buzz buzzes

2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.

marry marries
study studies

carry carries

worry worries

NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.

play plays
enjoy enjoys

say says

Negative Sentences in the Simple Present Tense

To make a negative sentence in English we normally use Don't or Doesn't with all verbs
EXCEPT To Be and Modal verbs (can, might, should etc.).

Affirmative: You speak French.

Negative: You don't speak French.

You will see that we add don't between the subject and the verb. We use Don't when the subject
is I, you, we or they.

Affirmative: He speaks German.

Negative: He doesn't speak German.

When the subject is he, she or it, we add doesn't between the subject and the verb to make a
negative sentence. Notice that the letter S at the end of the verb in the affirmative sentence
(because it is in third person) disappears in the negative sentence. We will see the reason why
below.

Negative Contractions
Don't = Do not
Doesn't = Does not

I don't like meat = I do not like meat.

There is no difference in meaning though we normally use contractions in spoken English.

Word Order of Negative Sentences

The following is the word order to construct a basic negative sentence in English in the Present
Tense using Don't or Doesn't.
Subject
don't/doesn't Verb*
The Rest of the sentence
I / you / we / they don't
have / buy
cereal for breakfast
eat / like etc.
he / she / it
doesn't
* Verb: The verb that goes here is the base form of the infinitive = The infinitive without TO
before the verb. Instead of the infinitive To have it is just the have part.
Remember that the infinitive is the verb before it is conjugated (changed) and it begins with TO.
For example: to have, to eat, to go, to live, to speak etc.
Examples of Negative Sentences with Don't and Doesn't:

You don't speak Arabic.

John doesn't speak Italian.

We don't have time for a rest.

It doesn't move.

They don't want to go to the party.

She doesn't like fish.

Questions in the Simple Present Tense

To make a question in English we normally use Do or Does. It has no translation in Spanish
though it is essential to show we are making a question. It is normally put at the beginning of the
question.

Affirmative: You speak English.

Question: Do you speak English?

You will see that we add DO at the beginning of the affirmative sentence to make it a question.
We use Do when the subject is I, you, we or they.

Affirmative: He speaks French.

Question: Does he speak French?

When the subject is he, she or it, we add DOES at the beginning to make the affirmative
sentence a question. Notice that the letter S at the end of the verb in the affirmative sentence
(because it is in third person) disappears in the question. We will see the reason why below.
We DON'T use Do or Does in questions that have the verb To Be or Modal Verbs (can, must,
might, should etc.)

Word Order of Questions with Do and Does

The following is the word order to construct a basic question in English using Do or Does.
Do/Does
Subject
Verb* The Rest of the sentence
Do
I / you / we / they have / need
a new bike?
want etc.
Does
he / she / it
*Verb: The verb that goes here is the base form of the infinitive = The infinitive without TO
before the verb. Instead of the infinitive To have it is just the have part.
Remember that the infinitive is the verb before it is conjugated (changed) and it begins with TO.
For example: to have, to eat, to go, to live, to speak etc.
Examples of Questions with Do and Does:

Do you need a dictionary?

Does Mary need a dictionary?

Do we have a meeting now?

Does it rain a lot in winter?

Do they want to go to the party?

Does he like pizza?

Short Answers with Do and Does

In questions that use do/does it is possible to give short answers to direct questions as follows:

Short Answer Short Answer

(Affirmative) (Negative)
Do you like chocolate?
Yes, I do.
No, I don't.
Do I need a pencil?
Yes, you do. No, you don't.
Do you both like chocolate? Yes, we do.
No, we don't.
Do they like chocolate?
Yes, they do. No, they don't.
Does he like chocolate?
Yes, he does. No, he doesn't.
Does she like chocolate?
Yes, she does. No, she doesn't.
Does it have four wheels? Yes, it does. No, it doesn't.
Sample Questions

However, if a question word such as who, when, where, why, which or how is used in the
question, you can not use the short answers above to respond to the question.

: First, we use the Present Simple when something is generally true:

The sun rises in the east.

People need food.

It snows in winter.

The sky isn't green.

Plants die without water.

Two and two make four.

2: We also need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent (see the
present continuous for a temporary situation - one which we think won't last long):

Where do you live?

She works in a bank.

They love coffee.

She has three children.

I am married.

I don't like mushrooms.

3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency in
this case (also see the present continuous for new, temporary or annoying habits):

Do you smoke?
I play tennis every Tuesday.

We often go to the cinema.

She gets up at seven o'clock every day.

At the weekend, we usually go to the market.

How often do you study English?

I don't travel very often.

4: Four, we use the simple present to talk about what happens in books, plays, or films:

The hero dies at the end of the film.

A young woman travels through Europe, where she meets different people, and finally
falls in love.

In this book, an army invades Britain.

The main character is very pretty and works in a bookshop.

5: We use it in the first and the zero conditionals:

If it rains, I won't come.

If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.

6: Strangely, we can use this tense to talk about the future. When you are discussing a timetable
or a fixed plan, you can use this tense. Usually, the timetable is fixed by an organisation, not by
us:

School begins at nine tomorrow.

Our train leaves at eleven.

What time does the film start?

The plane doesn't arrive at seven, it arrives at seven thirty.

When does the class finish?

7: We also use it to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as
soon as' in a future sentence:

I will call you when I have time. (Not: 'will have')

I won't go out until it stops raining.

She'll come as soon as her babysitter arrives.

I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news.

I'll give you the book before you go.

8: We need to use this simple tense with stative verbs (verbs which we don't use in continuous
tenses), in situations where we'd usually use the present continuous:

This soup tastes great.

You look fabulous.

I think she is very pretty.

I am cold.

I promise I will help you.

The PRESENT PERFECT TENSE is formed with a present tense form of "to
have" plus the past participle of the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form).
This tense indicates either that an action was completed (finished or "perfected") at some
point in the past or that the action extends to the present:
I have walked two miles already [but I'm still walking].
I have run the Boston Marathon [but that was some time ago].
The critics have praised the film Saving Private Ryan since it came out [and they
continue to do so].

he Present Simple Tense

Spelling Tip
In the present simple 3rd person singular (he, she, it), add s, es, or ies to the base form of the
verb.

To regular verbs just add an s Ex: travel >travels, give > gives, play >plays
To verbs that end in s, ss, sh, ch, x, and o, add an es Ex: wash > washes, mix > mixes,
go >goes

To verbs end in y after a consonant (any letter that isnt a vowel), change the y to i and
add es. Ex: study > studies, fly > flies

Sometimes the present simple tense doesnt seem very simple. Here we will sort it all out for
you!
We use the present simple tense to express the following ideas:
1. To state facts or general truths
2. To express habits or customs
3. To relate future plans (often regarding programs and timetables)
4. To tell jokes and stories or to report sporting events in real time.

Examples of the Present Simple

1. The sun sets in the west.
2. We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery.
3. They move into their new home next week.
4. So, I go to Mr. D and say I deserve a better mark in this class.
5. Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster.

Forming the Present Simple

Subject
verb rest of sentence
I / You / We / They sleep late on Saturdays
He / She / It
goes to the beach every weekend

Time Expressions in the Present Simple

The most common time expressions in the present simple are: usually, always, never, on
Wednesdays, every Wednesday, twice a week, once a month, in general, every other day.
Time expressions made up of one word are placed between the subject and the verb in positive
sentences and questions and between the auxiliary verb and main verb in negative sentences.
1. I always study hard for exams.
2. Do you usually speak to him like that?
Time expressions made up of two or more words are placed either at the beginning or the end of
a sentence and usually at the end of questions.
1. Ben goes to football practice every Tuesday.
2. In general, I believe that all people can live in peace.
3. you go to the supermarket every week?

Negative Sentences in the Present Simple Tense

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe () does not > doesnt
When creating negative sentences, we usually use the auxiliary verbs dont and doesnt + the
base form of the verb.
Note: Save the long forms (do not, and does not) for when you want to create emphasis. When
speaking, put the stress on not.
Subject
auxillery verb
verb in base form rest of sentence
I / You / We / They dont (do not)
eat
late at night
He / She / It
doesnt (does not) watch
TV every day
1. I dont like the food they serve at that restaurant.
2. Jim doesnt work on Fridays.
3. My friends dont usually leave so early.
4. I do not want to go with you!

Yes/No Questions in the Present Simple

Punctuation Tip
Always begin a sentence, question and wh-question with a capital letter:
He always does good work.
Do you like me?
What did they bring you?
To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Do or Does,
then add a subject (the person or thing that does the action) followed by the base form of the verb
and only then add the rest of the sentence.
Auxiliary Verb subject
verb in base form rest of sentence
Do
I / you / we / they drive
to the city on Mondays
Does
he / she / it
break down
often
1. Do you surf the Internet every day?
2. Does your boss give you positive feedback?
3. Does Jonathan always turn off the lights?
4. Dont you ever clean your room?

Note: In the Present Simple tense:

1. You may add a one-word time expression, such as always, usually, or often between
the subject and the verb.
2. You may use a negative question with a time expression such as ever.

Wh-Questions in the Present Simple

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh- words
are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add do or does, then the subject (a person
or thing that does the action), followed by the base form of the verb and only then add the rest of
the sentence.
Wh-Word Auxiliary Verb Subject
Verb in Base Form Rest of Sentence
What
do
I / you / we / they want
Why
does
he / she / it
shout
at you
1. When do you want to meet me?
2. Why does Beth always complain so much?
3. How much does the ticket cost?
4. Why dont you ever go on vacation?

Tag Questions in the Present Simple

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They are used
just to make sure the person youre talking to understood what you meant or to emphasize what
you said.
Theyre formed either by using a regular sentence in the present simple and adding dont or
doesnt and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark.
1. John likes me, doesnt he?
2. All those girls speak French, dont they?
You may also add a positive tag when youre using a negative sentence.
1. Keisha doesnt speak Spanish, does she
2. Those boys dont play sports, do they?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

The Present Simple Tense

The simple present tense is used in English for the following purposes:
- Repeated actions
- Simple statements of fact
- World truths
- With verbs of the senses and mental processes
- In jokes and story telling
- To refer to the future
How to form the present simple

Repeated actions
The present simple tense is very often used with adverbs of repeated time. Look at these
examples (the adverbs are shown in bold):

I always come to school by car.

She frequently arrives here before me.

He never forgets to do his homework.

I often catch the late bus home.

I play football on Saturdays.

Once a year I fly back to visit my family in Korea.

The classrooms are cleaned every evening after school.

She sometimes loses her temper, but it doesn't happen very often.

Do you ever eat in the cafeteria?

Does your father speak English every day?

Simple statements of fact

When we want to state a fact or ask a question without any time reference, we use the present
simple tense.

I live in Frankfurt.

She plays football but she doesn't play tennis.

For breakfast he eats rice and drinks cold milk.

She works very hard.

My friend speaks four languages.

It rains a lot in Germany.

I don't like horror films!

Do you smoke?

Does your sister have any children?

How much does it cost to buy an apartment in Frankfurt?

World truths
Statements about rules of nature and the way the world is are in the present simple tense.

The sun sets in the West.

Most babies learn to speak when they are about two years old.

Water boils at 100 Celsius.

Trees lose their leaves in the fall.

Few people live to be 100 years old.

Wood floats on water.

Does it snow in the Sahara desert?

Do elephants live longer than humans?

Money doesn't guarantee happiness.

Flowers don't grow in the winter.

Verbs of the senses and mental processes

The present simple tense is used for many verbs of thinking, feeling and sensing. The most
common words are:
like

love prefer know

hate

need want

see

understand

believe remember

hear taste smell look

She likes it in Germany.
I love lying in bed late on Sunday mornings.

I need to know right now.

She says she doesn't know who did it, but I don't believe her.

He doesn't want to speak to you again.

This doesn't taste very good, does it?

Do you remember the first time we met?

Do you smell something funny?

Does he understand which way to go?

In jokes, anecdotes and film or book summaries

The present simple tense is very often used in jokes and when telling a story to make the joke or
story seem more immediate. This use of the present tense is sometimes called the graphic
present.
The present simple is also used to retell what happens in a book or film.

So in he walks with a parrot on his shoulder.

In his new film Robert Redford plays the part of a brave cowboy.

To refer to the future

The present simple is often used to refer to future events that are scheduled (and outside of our
control).

Hurry up! The train departs in 10 minutes.

I leave Frankfurt at 5 o'clock in the morning and arrive in New York

at midnight the next day.

She has a piano lesson after school today.
There's no need to hurry. The train doesn't leave for another 30 minutes.

When does the meeting begin?

Present Simple

We use the present simple to talk about actions we see as long term or permanent. It is a very
common and very important tense.
Here, we are talking about regular actions or events.

They drive to the office every day.

She doesn't come here very often.

The news usually starts at 6.00 every evening.

Do you usually have bacon and eggs for breakfast?

Here, we are talking about facts.

We have two children.

Water freezes at 0 C or 32 F.

What does this expression mean?

The Thames flows through London.

Here, we are talking about future facts, usually found in a timetable or a chart.

Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year.

The plane leaves at 5.00 tomorrow morning.

Ramadan doesn't start for another 3 weeks.

Does the class begin at 10 or 11 this week?

Here, we are talking about our thoughts and feelings at the time of speaking. Although these
feelings can be short-term, we use the present simple and not the present continuous.

They don't ever agree with us.

I think you are right.

She doesn't want you to do it.

Do you understand what I am trying to say.

he present perfect is used for three reasons:

1. To describe an action that goes from the past up to the present moment.
2. To describe an action that occurred sometime in the past but the exact time is unknown.
3. To describe an action that was repeated many times in the past.
Contractions are usually used with this tense:
I've lived, you've lived, he's lived, she's lived, etc.

Beginning to intermediate level English learners can use this quick overview of the present
simple tense to learn uses and examples of the present tense to speak about routines, facts, and
opinions. Examples are provided for each use of the present simple, as well as the structure for
positive, negative and questions. To practice the present simple read about Tim's Day.
Present Simple
Listed below are uses with examples, and the structure of the present simple tense.
Permanent or long-lasting situations
Where do you work?
The store opens at 9 o'clock.
She lives in New York.
Regular habits and daily routines
I usually get up at 7 o'clock.
She doesn't often go to the cinema.
When do they usually have lunch?
Facts
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
What does 'strange' mean?
Water doesn't boil at 20 degrees.
Feelings
I love walking around late at night during the summer.
She hates flying!
What do you like? I don't want to live in Texas.

Opinions and states of mind

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He doesn't agree with you.
I think he is a wonderful student.
What do you consider your best accomplishment?
Timetables and schedules
The plane leaves at 4 p.m.
When do courses begin this semester?
The train doesn't arrive until 10.35.
Common present time expressions include:
usually, always, often, sometimes, on Saturdays, at weekends (on weekends US English), rarely,
on occasion, never, seldom
You can test your understanding with this present simple quiz.
Structure
Positive
In the positive form add an 's' to the base form of the 3rd person singular. If the verb ends in -y
preceded by a consonant, change the -y to -ies.
I, You, We, They -> eat lunch at noon.
He, She, It -> works well in any situation.