Simple Present Tense | Examples, Uses, Rules, Exercises.

Ever wondered why the sentence "The Earth revolves around the sun" uses the present tense even though it describes an event that has been happening for millions of years? Well, this answer is hidden in the concept of Simple Present Tense, and the example given above is a classic Simple Present Tense example.

Also known as the Present Indefinite Tenses, a Simple Present Tense is a verb tense that is also the basic form of the present tense in English. The Present Simple Tense helps to express the current or habitual actions, daily routine, universally established facts/general facts and/or fixed arrangements. In general, the simple present tense is used to describe actions happening in the present moment or those that happen regularly. To make the simple present tense sentences, you need to use the base form of verb (e.g., "I walk", "they walk", "I sing", "they sing") and for the third-person singular (he, she, it) - add an "-s" or "-es" to the verb (e.g.- "he walks", "she watches", "she dances"). 

In this article, we will discuss the simple present tense definition, simple present tense formula, simple present tense examples and exercises along with some common mistakes made in the usage of this present simple tense. But first we will learn about simple present tense definition (Present Indefinite Tense definition). You can practice this tense to prepare for your English proficiency tests to study abroad. 

You should also learn all 12 tenses in English grammar with examples.

What is a Simple Present Tense?

Simple Present tense (also known as the Present Indefinite Tense) is used to express general truths/facts (such as - “the sun rises in the east.”), habits (I wake up in the morning) and planned events in the near future (Ram’s birthday comes next week). 

Where is Simple Present Tense Used? | Conditions and Situations

The Present Indefinite Tense is used in various cases. The various instances where the Simple Present tense is used to construct the sentence structure are given below. 

• To Express Habits/Daily Routine: the things you usually do, routined habits/activities are described by using the present indefinite tense rules. For example -
  
  • I wake up at 6 am. 
  • I go to school. 
• General Truths: (also the permanent truths) are the universal truths and facts that can be described using the Present Indefinite tense. The general truth-related examples of the Simple present tense are-
  
  • Delhi stands on the bank of river Yamuna.
  • The sun rises in east. 
• Near Future Events- The scheduled events that are going to be performed/happened in the near future are expressed using the Simple Present tense. 
  
  • They leave at 9 am tomorrow. 
  • My birthday comes next week. 
• Present Time: the activity that is ongoing in the present time. For example -
  
  • Rohit lives in Delhi.
  • I study in class 5. 
• Exclamatory Sentences that start with “see”, “here” and “there”: These are some powerful expressions that indicate an action in the present moment. Present indefinite tense examples of this kind are given below.
  
  • See, how it rains.
  • Here comes the principal.
• To Repeat a Quotation: The quotations from famous personalities can be repeated as such by making use of the Present Simple Tense. For example-
  
  • Keats says, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
  • Browning says, “Who knows the world may end tonight.”
• To Express a Past Event in a Narrative: Past events in a narrative can be expressed by making use of the simple present tense, for example - 
  
  • Sher Singh takes his sister and leaves for Holland.
  • Laxmi Bai now rides her horse and leads her army.
• Imperative Sentences: used to start “imperative sentences” as given below.
  
  • Obey your elders.
  • Do not speak a lie. 

How is the Simple Present Tense Used in a Sentence?

To form a Simple Present Tense sentence, the base form of verb is used without any suffix, with the exception of third-person singular subjects. In such cases, "s" and "es" are added to the verb first form, the rule for which is explained in the coming section.  

Note- The singular noun rules apply to “he, she and it”, and for "I, we, you, they", plural subject rules apply. 

Simple Present Tense Rules

It must be noted that there are three types of sentences in Simple Present Tense - affirmative, negative and interrogative. The rules of Simple Present Tense differ for all these three types of sentences and their singular and plural nouns as well.

So, below, we have provided the rules on how simple present tense sentences are created when describing your daily activities in an affirmative, negative and interrogative manner using the simple present tense structure. Check out the present simple tense rules below.

Where: V1 denotes the first form of Verb. 

There are two rules that will help you understand where and when to add “s”, “es” and “ies” as suffixes to first form of verbs in sentences while using simple present tense (or Present Indefinite Tense formula). correct use of s/es and ies are given below. 

• When first form of verb ends in -o, -ss, -sh, -ch, and -x.

When verb in simple tense ends in -o, -ss, -sh, -ch, and -x, suffix “es” is added. In rest of cases, add “s” to verb. For example, “go” becomes “goes”, “search” becomes “searches” and “run” becomes “runs”.

• When first form of verb ends in a consonant followed by -y. 

When verb in a simple present tense sentence ends in a -y and there is a consonant before -y, “ies” is added as a suffix to verb. For example, “carry” becomes “carries” and “copy” becomes “copies”.

Note- Base form of verb is used in simple present tense sentences with first and second person singular while s/es is used with third person singular. However, with all plural forms, only base form is used.

Common Verb Forms Used in the Simple Present Tenses

Here is the list of the most commonly used verb forms in most of the simple present tense examples. The second and third columns of the table below present how the common verbs in column 1 change when used with singular and plural subjects in Simple Present Tense sentences. 

Simple Present Tense Examples (for each Case)

Examples of the present indefinite tense for every case/situation of where they get used are given below. Note the sentences where s/es is added to the base form of verbs.  

Simple Present Tense Examples | For Each Rule

Nw, below we have given simple present tense examples for each of the rules explained above. Here, unlike in the above table - where we discussed examples according to different cases of where the simple present tense rules are used, the examples of Simple Present Tense are given based on its rules - as per each rule given in the first table of the article.  

Simple Present Tense Exercises

This section contains diff. present indefinite tense exercises and upon solving these you will become confident for taking your exam. You may also use these questions as simple present tense worksheet for practicing later.  

Fill out blanks in sentences below

1. The mother …….. (cook) food.
2. Rita …….. (call) me every morning. 
3. She …….. (read) in tenth class.
4. The cat …… (kill) rats. 
5. The sun …… (rise) in east. 
6. The train …….. (depart) at 7 am tomorrow.
7. Sarah …….. (go) to yoga classes every day. 
8. The gardener ……. (take care) of plants
9. Here …….. (come) the train. 
10. I go to …….. (play) every evening.
11. …… (do/does) he ……… (play) tennis?
12. When …….. (do/does) bus ……. (leave)?
13. We …….. (achieve) great things when we work together. 
14. Most people ………. (believe) in importance of education. 
15. The children …….. (play) in garden every afternoon after school.

Answers-

1. cooks
2. calls
3. reads
4. Kills
5. rises 
6. Departs
7. Goes
8. takes care
9. Comes
10. play
11. Does, play
12. Does, leave
13. achieve
14. believe
15. play

Transform given sentences

Rewrite given sentences in simple present tense form.

1. She was preparing dinner.​
2. They visited the art gallery.​
3. He is listening to music.​
4. We were jogging in the park.​

Answers-

1. She prepares dinner.​
2. They visit the art gallery.​
3. He listens to music.​
4. We jog in the park.​

Note how above sentence transformations bring sense of daily habits or present time in sentences after conversion.

Correct the Errors

Identify errors in sentences below and correct these errors as per rules of simple present tense.

1. The concert start at 9 PM.​
2. He don't enjoy spicy food.​
3. I enjoys painting landscapes.​

Answers-

1. The concert starts at 9 PM.
2. He doesn't enjoy spicy food.​
3. I enjoy painting landscapes.​

Importance of Simple Present Tenses in English Language Exams 

The present indefinite tense is base form of verb tense and forms the foundation of learning the sentence structure in English. Thus, the learning of the Simple Present Tense plays a good role in preparation for the standardised English language tests to study abroad, like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo. Let us read about the benefits of learning the Simple Present Tense for success in any of these English exams: 

1. Foundation of other tenses: The simple present tense forms the base for understanding other tenses like the present continuous tense, future simple tense, and past simple tense. 
2. Expresses Daily Routines and Habits: You will likely encounter prompts or questions that ask about your daily routines, study habits, or background in any of the English exams and since the simple present tense specifies how you can describe your daily routines, facts or general truths in its rules, it will be way lot easier for you to anwer these questions in the exam.  
3. Indirectly Tested in Other Sections: Even if a specific question does not directly ask about the simple present tense, understanding it can help you eliminate other incorrect answer choices.

Read More:

• Prepositions
• Personal Pronouns

Are you willing to take the first move towards realising your dream of studying abroad? Prepare for your next English language exam to study abroad with Shiksha’s Free IELTS Classes. 

This was all about the simple present tense definition, simple present tense formula, present indefinite tenses sentences and examples. We studied the basic verb form of the English grammar tenses, i.e. the simple present tense (also known as the Present Indefinite tense), simple present tense definitions, simple present tense sentences, do/does use, simple present tense examples and simple present tense questions. You can download the simple present tense examples PDF by clicking on the “Download Guide” button. 

Related Reads:

1. Present Continuous Tense
2. Present Perfect Tense
3. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
4. Past Perfect Tense
5. Future Plans