Simple Present Tense in English Grammar: Definition, Rules, Uses, Examples & Worksheet with Answers

The Simple Present Tense is used to describe general truths or facts, habits, scheduled events, daily routines, permanent situations, etc. A tense is the form of the verb which expresses the time of action. And, the simple present tense is that verb tense in English Grammar which expresses the current action or situation.

There are three types of Present Simple Tense: Affirmative, Negative and Interrogative. Let's look at about 10 examples of the simple present tense:

Examples of Simple Present Tense:

1. Ravi wakes up at 6 AM.
2. I polish my shoes.
3. My boss starts work on time. 
4. This ice cream tastes delicious.
5. My daughter lives in London. 
6. Where do you play football?
7. She helps her dad in the garden.
8. They walk their dog every morning. 
9. We do not speak Spanish.
10. Does Kelly write a story?

Also Read:

Simple Past Tenses: Uses, Examples and Exercises with Answers	Past Perfect Tenses in English Grammar
English Past Perfect Continuous Tenses	Simple Future Tense: Rules, Types, Formula and Examples

According to the Oxford dictionary, the simple present tense is “the form of a verb that expresses an action that is happening now or at the time of speaking.”

The Collins dictionary also has the same definition of the Present Simple Tense of English Grammar.

Pronunciation- /preznt ˈtens/

Examples of Simple Present Tense

Here are a few simple present tense examples:

Helen talks very fast.	I love my new dress.
Does she talk a lot?	The King of England lives in Buckingham Palace.
Namrata enjoys cooking.	Sam brushes his teeth twice a day.
I like English and Geography.	My sister works at the museum.
Water boils at 100 degree celsius.	Mr. Clark does not teach maths.
Mary never lies.	Leila swims every morning before work.
It rains here even in summers.	We go to the cinemas every Sunday.
Ankit writes an email to his friends.	The dishes smell delicious.

 

The verb tense, Simple Present Tense is used to express the current event, as mentioned above. The root form of the verb is used for the Simple Present Tense in grammar.

For example, I ride a bike.

The present tense is used in the following cases:

General Truths

When talking about or stating general or universal truths, the simple present tense is used. General truths are statements depicting facts or situations which are permanently true. These statements are universally accepted and consistently held regardless of time or circumstances. These statements are not subject to change and also include scientific facts, such as 'the water freezes at 0 degree celcius', 

Example:

• The kids go to school
• I run in the park.
• They work during the day.

Present Event/Time

The Present indefinite tense is also used to describe an event or activity that is ongoing.

Example:

• Rohan lives in Delhi
• I study in Class 10

Habits/Routines

The tense used to describe habits or usual routines is the simple present tense. Routine habits or activities are also described using the simple present tense or the present indefinite tense.

Example:

• I sleep at 11 PM.
• Children go to school.
• I play basketball.

Near Future Events

Events or activities that are to be performed in the near future are also described using the simple present tense. These cases are particularly seen when referring to things such as public transportation or fixed schedules or timetables.

Example:

• The movie starts at 10 PM.
• The train leaves at 6 AM.
• The bus goes at half past five.

Quotations and Headlines

The simple present tense is also used to quote famous sayings or things that are generally permanent. Simple tense is also used in live commentaries, sports, or news headlines to give a sense of immediacy.

Example:

• Honesty is the best policy.
• Rohit Sharma hits a six!
• Oscar Wilde said- “to live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

A Past Event in a Narrative

The verb tense, simple present tense, is also used to express a past event in a narrative. Writers and speakers often use the simple present tense instead of the past tense to express a past event when narrating. This gives their story more depth, makes it vivid and dramatic, and immediate to give a sense to the listener or reader that the event is happening right now.

Example:

Past Tense: Neha walked into the room. Prateek looked up and smiled.

Narrative Present Tense: Neha walks into the room. Prateek looks up and smiles.

The second kind of narrative feels more alive, as in it is happening right now.

Also Read:

Examples of Prefixes

Examples of Suffixes

Parts of Speech in English: Examples, Exercises with answers

There are three types of simple present tense, i.e. Affirmative, Negative and Interrogative. Each type of simple present tense differs in structure and has a different grammar rule. Let’s understand each in detail.

Affirmative Simple Present Tense

In simple words, the affirmative simple present tense in grammar gives a sense of positive action or information. An affirmative simple present tense sentence tells what happens or what someone does.

Rule: Subject + V1 + s/es + Object

Subject	Form of the Verb	Example
I/ You/ We/ They	Base form of the verb (no changes)	Example: We work hard. You dance beautifully.
She/ He/ It	Base form of the verb (V1) + s/es	Riya works hard. He sings beautifully. She goes to the gym. It barks loudly.

Example:

• Rohan likes pizza.
• Tanya sings wonderfully.
• Janet and Anna exercise every morning.

Negative Simple Present Tense

The negative simple present tense is usually formed by adding ‘do not’ or ‘don’t’ between the verb and the subject.  In simple words, this tense expresses of something that does not happen or someone does not do something.

To form such a sentence, always the base form of the verb is used.

Rule: Subject + Do/ Does + Not + V1 + Object

Subject	Verb
I/ You/ We/ They	Do Not (Don’t)
He/ She/ It	Does Not (Doesn’t)

Example:

• We do not watch much television.
• He doesn’t like to dance.
• The remote doesn’t work properly.

Interrogative Simple Present Tense: How to Ask a Question

As the name suggests, a sentence in the interrogative simple present tense is a question.

Rule: Does + Subject + V1 + Object + ?

Subject	Verb
I/ You/ We/ They	Do
He/ She/ It	Does

Example:

• Does it bother you?
• Does she go to school?
• Does he like pizza?

Take a look at the table below to understand the types of Simple Present Tense in English in Singular and Plural forms:

Types of Simple Present Tense	Singular	Plural
Affirmative	Subject + V1 + S/es + Object	Subject + V1 + Object
Negative	Subject + Does/ Does Not + V1 + Object	Subject + Do Not + V1 + Object
Interrogative	Does + Subject + V1 + Object + ?	Do + Subject + V1 + Object + ?

Mentioned below are some of the grammar rules for simple present tense. These rules explain the structure of the sentence where the simple present tense is used. The formulas for simple present tense are:

Rule 1: Base Form of Verb with He/ She/ It

Rule- Subject (He/She/It) + V1 + Object

The base form of the English verb is used in a simple present tense when the pronouns he, she or it are used.

Example:

He eats an apple.

It sits on the table.

She dresses up nicely.

Rule 2: Spelling Rules for Adding ‘s’ or ‘es’

The table below depicts some spelling rules in English when adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ to verbs in the third person singular:

Verb Endings	Rule	Example
Ends in –ch, -sh, -x, -s, -o	Add es	Watches, patches
Ends in a constant + y	Change y to ies	Cry – Cries Fly- flies Dry- Dries
Ends in a vowel + y	Add s	Toy- Toys Tray- Trays Alley- Alleys
Most verb	Add s	Says, plays, thinks, reads

Rule 3: Usage of ‘Do’ and ‘Does’ in Negative Sentences and Questions

The rule for the negative sentences where the simple present tense is used is as follows:

Rule: Subject + Do/ Does + Not + V1 + Object

Example:

• She does not like broccoli.
• Don’t you watch football on TV?
• Where does he go?

Rule 4: Time Expressions in Simple Present Tense

There are some common time expressions which can only be expressed by using the simple present tense. Such time expressions include, always, never, often, sometimes, usually, every day, every year, every week, in the morning, in the evening, etc.

Example:

• He wakes up at 5 in the morning.
• They never skip exercise after dinner.
• Reena goes to the gym every day.

Rule 5: Do not use –ing in Simple Present Tense

One of the stated rules of grammar while using the simple present tense is not to use –ing with verbs.

Example:

Incorrect: She is going to the market on Sunday.

Correct: She goes to the market on Sunday.

Incorrect: He is driving a taxi every evening.

Correct: He drives a taxi every evening.

Also Read:

• English Spelling Rules
• English Gerunds: Rules, Examples, Practice Questions
• English Paraphrasing rules: Master Paraphrasing in English

Although the Simple Present Tense follow a basic structure of the sentence, there are a few exceptions when using the simple present tense in the English language. These are:

Exception 1: Irregular Verbs

Some irregular verbs such as Be, Have and Do, do not follow the simple rule of adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ or using the base form. The word completely changes:

Irregular Verb	Subject	Correct Form in Simple Present Tense
Be	I	Am
	You/ We/ They	Are
	He/ She/ It	Is
Have	I/ You/ We/ They	Have
	She/ He/ It	Has
Do	I/You/ We/ They	Do
	She/ He/ It	Does (In negative and interrogative sentences, do/does are used as auxiliary and the main verb stays in the base form.

Exception 2: Sentence with Stative Verbs or Non-Action Verbs

Some verbs are known as non-action verbs or stative verbs, which describe states and not actions. These are usually not used in the continuous tense, even if the action is ongoing. Examples of such verbs are believe, think, know, love, own, like, need, want, etc.

Examples:

Incorrect: She knowing the answer.

Correct: She knows the answer.

Incorrect: He loving the music.

Correct: He loves the music.

Incorrect: Rohan is owning a bakery.

Correct: Rohan owns a bakery.

In the Simple Present Verb Tense of English grammar, the verbs usually follow the regular patterns, i.e. adding 's' or 'es'. However, there are some irregular verbs which do not follow the standard spelling rules of grammar or the structure. Such verbs behave differently in terms of verb structure, spellings and form, especially in the third-person singular. Read below to get a detailed explanation. 

1. 'To Be': The irregular verb 'to be' changes to am/are/is depending on the pronoun used in the simple present sentence structure. 'To be' remains completely irregular in the present indefinite verb tense. The said verb also acts as a linking verb, which connects the subject to a descriptive phase or state of being. 

Subject	Verb Form
I	am
He/She/It	is
You/We/They	are

Example:

• She is happy.
• I am a teacher. 
• They are standing. 

2. 'To Have': The verb 'to have' is an auxiliary verb in the present simple tense and is used to describe possessions, experiences and actions. Understanding the role of 'To Have' is crucial to prepare for the English language. The verb 'To Have' is slightly irregular in the English simple present tense and is used for describing habitual actions. It is also used to describe the present state or something that exists or is present in the current moment. It is also sometimes known as the foundational verb in the English language. 

Example:

• She has a garden at her home. 
• I have a meeting tomorrow. 
• He has to go to the market today. 

Subject	Verb Form
I/You/We/They	have
He/She/It	has

3. 'To Do': The 'to do' is an irregular verb in usage. The 'to do' verb is used in the simple present tense sentence structure to form questions and negative sentences. The verb also adds emphasis and force to the main verb. Usually, the 'do' verb is not used in the affirmative simple present tense, but can be used to put emphasis on something. Example: 'I do like this dress'. As per the Cambridge dictionary, the do/does is used "to give extra force to the main verb." In the negative and interrogative simple present tense, 'do' is used as the auxiliary verb. 

Example: 

• He does not eat non-vegetarian food.
• They do their work. 
• Does Rohan work here?

Subject	Verb Form
I/You/We/They	do
He/She/It	does

Also Read:

• One word substitution: Exercises and examples
• Interjections: Examples, Categories, Books and Practice questions with answers
• Spelling Rules in English Grammar