The Present Simple Tense in English

The present simple, also known as simple present or present tense, is one of the most commonly used tenses in the English language.

It is used to talk about events that take place on a regular basis but also in some other cases.

Usage

Rule 1: We can use the present simple tense to talk about actions that take place regularly or habitually using signal words like always, never, rarely, often, every.

Rule 2: We use the present simple tense to talk about actions that take place one after the other.

Rule 3: We use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are generally valid.

Rule 4: We use the present simple tense to talk about planned and predetermined actions in the future (e.g., timetable).

Rule 5: We use the present simple tense with stative verbs (be, know, think, like, prefer, want, etc.) and verbs of memory or thought.

Conjugation

Rule 6: To conjugate English verbs in present simple, we add an -s or -es to verbs in the third person singular (he/she/it), otherwise the verb does not change.

Note: We use the auxiliary verb do to construct negative sentences and questions. The main verb is used in the infinitive form. Modal verbs never take an -s.

Here's how to conjugate positive, negative and interrogative sentences in the present simple tense:

Contractions

Rule 7: We can use contractions - short forms of pronouns and verbs combined with the word not - in informal and spoken English.

Here is an overview of the most common contractions used in the present simple tense: