The Present Simple in English — Everything You Need to Know

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Now that you know how to use the verb to be and what nouns are, it’s time to start speaking in full sentences! You can make sentences in the present simple. 

In English we use the present simple to talk about regular or repeated actions. And we use the present simple to talk about things that are always true. 

Learning the present simple is very important because we use it for many things. So, let’s look at everything you need to know about the present simple in English to use it correctly.

And remember, if you want to practice, book a lesson with one of our experienced English teachers today!

When to Use the Present Simple

The most common times to use the present simple are when you are talking about habits. You can also use it for facts, or things that are always true.

Habits or Routines

We use the present simple when talking about things we do regularly. For example: I wake up at 7 a.m. every day. Or: She drinks coffee every morning. These actions (wake up, drink) are part of a routine, so we use the present simple.

Here are some more example sentences of the present simple for habits or routines:

1. I walk my dog every day.
2. You go to school in the morning.
3. He wears shorts in the summer.
4. They take the bus to work.
5. We eat dinner at 7:30 PM.

Facts

We also use the present simple to talk about things that are always true. This can be scientific facts or general truths. For example: The sun rises in the east. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. These things never change.

Here are some more example sentences of the present simple for facts:

1. The sun sets in the west.
2. The earth is round.
3. Babies cry a lot.
4. The sun is hot.
5. The earth revolves around the sun.

Permanent Situations

If something is permanent or doesn’t change easily, you can use the present simple. For example: They live in London. She works at a hospital. These are things that stay the same for a long time.

Here are some more example sentences of the present simple for permanent situations:

1. I am married to Tom.
2. She does not eat meat.
3. They own that house by the beach.
4. My friend speaks French.
5. George plays the piano.

How to Make a Present Simple Sentence

Now that you know when to use the present simple, let’s look at how to correctly form the present simple sentences. While we can make longer sentences, present simple sentences start very simply! 

You can make a present simple sentence with just: subject + verb. For example: I run.

We always use the base verb (V1) in the present simple. But with the subjects he, she, it, the base verb gets an “s” at the end. For example: He runs.

After making a simple sentence you can add more parts. For example: subject + verb + object + extra information. Or: I run to work in the morning. And you can keep adding more parts after that!

How to Make a Negative Present Simple Sentence

To make a negative present simple sentence we use the auxiliary (or helping) verb do + not. So the sentence is: subject + do + not + verb. For example: I do not run.

When the subject of the sentence is he, she, it, “do” changes to “does”. But be careful, we only use one “s”, so since the “s” is on does, the main verb doesn’t use an “s”. Correct: He does not run. Incorrect: He does not runs. 

This rule changes when the main verb is “to be”. Instead of using do or does we just add not. For example: I am married. Becomes: I am not married. Incorrect: I do not am married.

How to Make a Present Simple Yes/No Question

To ask a question in the present simple we use the same words but we change the order: do/does + subject + verb. For example: Do you run? The answer to a question formed like this is just yes or no. But be careful again with the verb to be! When the question is about an adjective used with the verb to be we make it like this: to be + subject + adjective. For example: Are you married?

How to Make a Present Simple Short Answer Question

If you want more information then you need to use question words (qw). Those are: who/what/where/when/why/how. The word order is: qw + do/does + subject + verb. For example: When do you run? Why does he run? Then the answers to these questions need to give more information. You can’t answer one of these questions with yes or no. 

Common Mistakes with the Present Simple

The present simple may be… simple, but don’t worry if you make some mistakes! Here are a few to be careful of. 

1. Forgetting the “s” with he/she/it

Incorrect: He play football. You must add the “s” with the third person subjects. Correct: He plays football.

2. Forgetting about spelling rules with the “s”

There are some spelling rules you need to know about when you are writing in the present simple. When the verb ends in “ch”, “ss”, “sh”, “x”, or “zz”, we add “es” not just “s”. When the verb ends in a consonant + “y” we change the “y” to an “i” and add “es”. Thre are also some irregular verbs: “have” becomes “has”, “go” becomes “goes”, and “do” becomes “does”. And of course, don’t forget about the verb to be!

3. Using the present simple for actions happening now

If something is happening right now, then we use the present continuous, not the present simple. For example: I am eating lunch. You can say: I eat lunch. But the second sentence just means that it is normal for you to eat lunch while the first sentence tells us you are eating lunch right now.

For more practice with the present simple, watch this video:

I hope you now understand how to use the present simple in English. If you have any questions, put them in the comments below. And remember, if you want to practice, book a lesson with one of our experienced English teachers today!