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Present Simple Tense

December 17, 2013 by Bret Tutor

Present Simple Tense

 

English Simple Present Tense

 

How Do We Use The Present Simple Tense?

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
do base

Here are three significant exceptions to this rule:

  1. We do not use the auxiliary verb for positive sentences.
  2. We add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary when using 3rd person singular (he, she, it, etc).
  3. We do not use an auxiliary in any case when the verb to be is used.

Here are some examples with the main verb help:

subject auxiliary verb main verb
+ I, You, We, They help him.
He, She, It helps him.
– I, You, We, They do not help him.
He, She, It does not help him.
? Do(auxiliary verb) I, you, we, they(subject) help him?
Does(auxiliary verb) he, she, it(subject) help him?

Here are examples of the verb to be in the present simple tense. Note that there is no auxiliary:

subject main verb
+ I am Spanish.
You, We, They are Spanish.
He, She, It is Spanish.
– I am not young.
You, We, They are not young.
He, She, It is not young.
? Am(main verb) I(subject) allowed?
Are(main verb) you, we, they(subject) allowed?
Is(main verb) he, she, it(subject) allowed?

When Do We Use The Present Simple Tense?

The present simple tense is used when:

  • the action is broad
  • the action happens frequently in the past, present and future
  • the action is not just happening now
  • the statement is always valid (true)
Amy delivers pizza.
past present future
______________________________________________
It is Amy’s job to deliver pizza. She does it in the past, the present and the future.

Look at these examples:

  • I live in Argentina.
  • Mike sleeps every night at 8PM.
  • She works in a bakery.
  • I talk to her on Mondays.
  • I do not work in the morning.
  • Do you play video games?

We can also use the present simple tense for more specific and narrow situations, with the verb to be. We can talk about now by using the present simple tense. Here are some examples of the verb to be in the present simple tense, some now and some general:

Is she here?

Jim is not in the office.

I am in love.

past present future
 _________________
The situation is now.

 

She is a fast learner.

She is so nice.

Why is he always late?

past present future
_________________________________________________
The situation is general in the past, present and future.

ESL Video For For English Verb Present Simple Tense

[slickquiz id=2]

Filed Under: Tenses Tagged With: Grammar, Present Simple Tense, Tenses

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