The present simple is one of the first tenses you learn in English—and for good reason. It’s simple, common, and incredibly useful.
We use the present simple to talk about facts, habits, routines, and general truths. It’s the tense we use every day, often without even thinking about it.
In this lesson, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about the present simple tense. We’ll explain how to use it, when to use it, and how to avoid the most common errors.
What is the present simple tense?
The present simple is used to talk about:
- Things that happen regularly (habits and routines)
- Things that are always true (facts and general truths)
- Permanent situations (not just happening now)
- Scheduled events or timetables (like train schedules or classes)
Examples:
- I wake up at 7 a.m. every day.
- ‘I’ is the subject, so we use the base verb ‘wake’. This is a habit.
- The sun rises in the east.
- The subject ‘the sun’ is third-person singular, so we start with the base verb ‘rise’ and add ‘s’ → ‘rises’. This is a scientific fact.
- She lives in Rome.
- ‘She’ is third-person singular, so we start with the base verb ‘live’ and add ‘s’ → ‘lives’. This describes a permanent situation.
- The train leaves at 6 o’clock.
- The subject ‘the train’ is third-person singular, so we start with the base verb ‘leave’ and add ‘s’ → leaves. We use the present simple because timetables and schedules are considered fixed and regular.
How to form the present simple
In this section, we’ll learn how to make sentences using the present simple tense. We’ll look at three parts: how to make positive sentences, how to make negative sentences, and how to ask questions. Each one follows a simple rule, and we’ll go through them step by step with easy examples.
Positive sentences
For most subjects, the present simple uses the base form of the verb:
- I/You/We/They + verb: They work in an office.
- He/She/It + verb + ‘s’ or ‘es’: She works in an office.
Let’s look at the verb to play:
| Subject | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | play | I play football. |
| You | play | You play the piano. |
| He/She/It | plays | He plays guitar. |
| We/They | play | We play video games. |
Spelling tips for third person (he/she/it):
Tip 1: Add ‘es’ if the verb ends in ‘ss’, ‘sh’, ‘ch’, ‘x’, or ‘o’
- He misses the bus every morning.
- The base verb is miss, which ends in ‘ss’, so we add ‘es’ → misses.
- She washes her hands before dinner.
- The base verb is wash, which ends in ‘sh’, so we add ‘es’ → washes.
- He watches TV in the evening.
- The base verb is watch, which ends in ‘ch’, so we add ‘es’ → watches.
- She fixes cars for a living.
- The base verb is fix, which ends in ‘x’, so we add ‘es’ → fixes.
- He goes to school by bike.
- The base verb is go, which ends in ‘o’, so we add ‘es’ → goes.
Tip 2: Change ‘y’ to ‘ies’ if the verb ends in a consonant + y
- He studies every day.
- The base verb is study. It ends in a consonant (d) + y, so we change ‘y’ to ‘ies’ → studies.
- She carries a heavy bag.
- The base verb is carry. It ends in a consonant (r) + y, so we change ‘y’ to ‘ies’ → carries.
BUT: If the verb ends in a vowel + y, just add ‘s’
- She plays the violin.
- The base verb is play, which ends in a vowel (a) + y, so we simply add ‘s’ → plays.
- He enjoys cooking.
- The base verb is enjoy, which ends in a vowel (o) + y, so we just add ‘s’ → enjoys.
Negative sentences
When forming negative sentences, we use don’t or doesn’t + the base form of the verb.
- I/You/We/They → don’t: We don’t eat meat.
- He/She/It → doesn’t: He doesn’t like coffee.
Note: After don’t or doesn’t, the verb does not change.
Correct: She doesn’t eat chocolate.
Wrong: She doesn’t eats chocolate.
Questions
We use do or does at the beginning of the question.
- Do + I/you/we/they → Do they speak English?
- Does + he/she/it → Does he live near here?
The verb stays in its base form in questions.
Correct: Does she cook?
Wrong: Does she cooks?
When to use the present simple
Now that you know how to make present simple sentences, let’s look at when to use them. The present simple isn’t just for talking about now. It’s for things you do regularly, facts about the world, and even future schedules. In this section, we’ll go through each situation clearly, with real-life examples to help you understand.
1. Habits and routines
We use the present simple to describe things people do again and again. These can be daily routines, weekly activities, or other regular behaviors. You’ll often see this tense used with time expressions like every day, on weekends, after lunch, or before bed. Adverbs such as always, usually, sometimes, and never are also common. These are things that happen regularly and are part of someone’s life or routine, not just once.
- I go for a run every morning.
- ‘I’ takes the base verb ‘go’. No changes are needed. This is a regular routine.
- She drinks coffee after lunch.
- ‘She’ is third-person singular, so we start with the base verb ‘drink’ and add ‘s’ → ‘drinks’.
- They take the bus to work.
- ‘They’ is plural, so we use the base verb ‘take’ with no changes.
Look for time expressions that indicate repetition like always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day, on Mondays
You can use the present simple after when to describe habits or actions that always follow each other.
- When I get home, I take a shower.
- When she finishes work, she goes to the gym.
2. General truths and facts
The present simple is used to talk about things that are always true. These may be scientific facts, general knowledge, or basic truths about people, animals, or the world around us. Importantly, the truth doesn’t need to be universal (like ‘the sun is hot’)—it just needs to be consistently true in the situation. For example, ‘Children learn languages quickly’ is a general truth about how humans grow. These sentences don’t describe actions happening now, but statements that are true at all times.
- Water boils at 100°C.
- The subject ‘water’ is third-person singular, so we start with the base verb ‘boil’ and add ‘s’ → boils. This is a scientific fact, so we use the present simple.
- The Earth orbits the sun.
- ‘The Earth’ is third-person singular, so we use the base verb ‘orbit’ and add ‘s’ → ‘orbits’. This is also a scientific fact, so we use the present simple.
- Cats hate water.
- ‘Cats’ is plural, so we use the base verb ‘hate’ with no changes.
These things are always true, not just at one moment.
3. Permanent situations
We use the present simple to talk about situations that are not likely to change soon. These include long-term jobs, living arrangements, and characteristics that are stable or lasting. Even if the situation began in the past and continues today, we use present simple (not present perfect) to express that it is currently true and not just a temporary or ongoing activity. The focus here is on the state, not the action.
- He lives in Madrid.
- ‘He’ is third-person singular, so we use the base verb ‘live’ and add ‘s’ → ‘lives’. This describes a long-term situation.
- My parents work in healthcare.
- ‘Parents’ is plural, so we use the base verb ‘work’ with no changes.
- She speaks three languages.
- ‘She’ is third-person singular, so we use the base verb ‘speak’ and add ‘s’ → ‘speaks’.
These describe things that are not likely to change soon.
4. Timetables and schedules
Even though these events may happen in the future, we use the present simple to describe them because they are part of a fixed schedule. This includes transport timetables (like buses, trains, flights), school hours, business hours, and event start times. We think of these events as regular and organized—not flexible—so the present simple is used instead of a future tense.
- The train leaves at 6:15.
- ‘The train’ is third-person singular, so we start with the base verb ‘leave’ and add ‘s’ → ‘leaves’. This is a timetable.
- My class starts at 10 a.m.
- ‘My class’ is third-person singular. We use the base verb ‘start’ and add ‘s’ → ‘starts’. This is a scheduled event.
- The meeting begins at noon.
- ‘The meeting’ is third-person singular, so we use the base verb ‘begin’ and add ‘s’ → ‘begins’. This is a fixed future schedule.
Time expressions often used with present simple
Using time expressions makes your sentence clearer and more natural. These include:
- Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never
I usually walk to work. - Phrases: every day, once a week, on Sundays, at night
He exercises every morning.
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Even though the present simple is one of the first tenses learners study, it’s also one of the easiest to get wrong—especially with verbs and word order. In this section, we’ll look at the most common mistakes English learners make when using the present simple, and we’ll show you exactly how to fix them.
Using the wrong verb form after doesn’t or does
Wrong: She doesn’t likes tea.
Correct: She doesn’t like tea.
After do/does/don’t/doesn’t, always use the base verb.
Forgetting the ‘s’ for he/she/it
Wrong: He play football.
Correct: He plays football.
Using present continuous when you need present simple
Wrong: I am going to school every day.
Correct: I go to school every day.
Present continuous is for temporary or actions happening right now.
Present simple is for regular actions and facts.
Tips to remember the present simple
Use these tips to help you remember when and how to use the present simple tense:
Tip 1: Use it for things that are always true or regular
The present simple is for habits, routines, and facts.
She goes to work every day.
The sun rises in the east.
We play football on Saturdays.
Tip 2: Use the base form for most subjects
For I, you, we, and they, use the base verb (no ‘s’).
I work here.
They study English.
Tip 3: Add ‘s’ or ‘es’ for he, she, it
With third-person singular (he, she, it), you need to add ‘s’ to the verb.
He likes music.
She reads every night.
It rains a lot here.
Spelling tip:
Add ‘es’ for verbs that end in ‘ch’, ‘sh’, ‘ss’, ‘x’, ‘o’
watch → watches
go → goes
Tip 4: Use do or does to ask questions
Put do/does at the beginning of a question.
Do you like coffee?
Does he live near here?
Tip 5: Use don’t or doesn’t to make negatives
I don’t like spicy food.
She doesn’t work on Sundays.
TIP: After ‘doesn’t’, use the base verb (no ‘s’):
Correct: He doesn’t eat meat.
Wrong: He doesn’t eats meat.