Learn the definition, rules, usage, formulas, example sentences, and practice exercises of the simple present tense in English. Learn the entire lesson and boost your English grammar learning skills.
The Simple Present Tense
When you refer to habitual actions, customs, and facts, use simple present verb forms.
- HABITUAL ACTION: I work in the library.
- CUSTOM: Most Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
- FACT: The earth revolves around the sun.
If you include a time reference, you can also use the simple present to indicate future time.
- FUTURE ACTION: The concert starts in five minutes.
Except for be and have, verbs in the simple present follow this pattern:
Singular | Plural | |
First Person | I verb | we verb |
Second Person | you verb | you verb |
Third Person | he, she, it verb + s/es | they verb |
As you can see, the base form of the verb is used with the subject pronouns I, you, we, and they, and with the nouns these pronouns can replace. For example, the students takes the same verb form as they. An ending, either -s or -es, is added to the verb when the subject pronoun is he, she, it, or a noun; these pronouns can replace. The -s ending is used most frequently. The -es ending is used after certain letters or letter combinations.
Letters | Examples |
s | pass + es |
sh | push + es |
ch | march + es |
x | box + es |
o | do + es |
When a verb ends in a consonant and y, change the y to i and add -es.
For example: bury ➞ buries.
In the following chart, the forms of the verb have:
Singular | Plural | |
First Person | I have | we have |
Second Person | you have | you have |
Third Person | he, she, it has | they have |
Simple Present Tense Exercise
Complete each sentence with the simple present form of the verb in parentheses. Circle the reason that the simple present is used.
Exercise 1-1
1. I ——– (eat) lunch in the cafeteria every day but Friday.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
2. Julia ——– (carry) a heavy backpack to school every day.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
3. You ——– (speak) English well.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
4. The state of Florida ——– (produce) a great deal of citrus fruit.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
5. During the holidays, we always ——– (make) special meals.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
6. He ——– (watch) television every night.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
7. My roommate ——– (say) a prayer before he eats.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
8. The game ——– (begin) in an hour.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
9. My friends and I ——– (live) near a park.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
10. Trees ——– (grow) tall in the Pacific Northwest.
(a) Habitual action (b) Custom (c) Fact (d) Future time
Exercise 1-2
Using the pronoun and verb provided, create your own sentences.
1. She always (make) —————————–.
2. I (take) —————————–.
3. It (give) —————————–.
4. They (come) —————————–.
5. I (use) —————————–.
6. He (leave) —————————–.
7. They (like) —————————–.
8. She (write) —————————–.
9. We (listen) —————————–.
10. It (contain) —————————–.
11. It (start) —————————–.
12. He (understand) —————————–.
Forming Negatives
To make a verb negative, add the auxiliary verb do and the word not before the main verb.
do not go | does not like |
Remember that does is used with the pronouns he, she, and it. When does is used, the main verb has no -s or -es ending.
Exercise 1-3
Make each of the following sentences negative.
EXAMPLE:
- I spend a lot of money.
- I do not spend a lot of money.
1. He goes to school every day.
——————————————
2. My roommate likes snakes.
——————————————
3. You know my family.
——————————————
4. The owner opens the store every day at 8:00.
——————————————
5. We help our neighbors.
——————————————
6. My friends send me letters.
——————————————
7. I feel tired.
——————————————
8. She speaks five different languages.
——————————————
9. They study in the library.
——————————————
10. We listen to pop music.
——————————————
11. They grow tomatoes in their backyard.
——————————————
12. This car runs well.
——————————————
Forming Contractions
In English, verbs are often combined with other words to form contractions. These shortened forms include an apostrophe (’) to indicate missing letters. It is important to learn contractions because you will often hear them in conversation or see them in informal writing. Formal writing, though, rarely contains contractions.
The auxiliary verb do is often combined with not to form a contraction. Notice that an apostrophe indicates that the letter o is omitted:
- do + not = don’t
- does + not = doesn’t
Exercise 1-4
Rewrite the sentences in exercise 1-3 using contractions.
1. ——————————————
2. ——————————————
3. ——————————————
4. ——————————————
5. ——————————————
6. ——————————————
7. ——————————————
8. ——————————————
9. ——————————————
10. ——————————————
11. ——————————————
12. ——————————————
Forming Yes/No Questions
To form questions that can be answered yes or no (yes/no questions), begin the question with the auxiliary verb do. After the auxiliary verb, place the subject and the main verb.
- Statement: He rides his bicycle to school.
- Yes/no question: Does he ride his bicycle to school?
- Statement: They ride the bus to work.
- Yes/no question: Do they ride the bus to work?
Exercise 1-5
Rewrite the following statements as yes/no questions.
EXAMPLE:
- You get tired easily.
- Do you get tired easily?
1. The artist shows his work at a local gallery.
2. They meet on Thursday mornings.
3. She works hard.
4. You commute to work.
5. It seems like a good decision.
6. This work requires patience.
7. The Carsons live in a small town.
8. You don’t believe my story. (Notice that do has already been used to indicate negation.)
9. The patient feels better.
10. The lecture ends at 5:30.
11. The plot involves many characters.
12. Most students complete the program in four years.
Forming Wh-Questions
Wh-questions are used to elicit specific pieces of information. They usually begin with what, who, why, where, when, how, or combinations such as how much, how many, and how often. When the question word is the subject of the sentence, the form of the question is similar to the form of a statement.
- Statement: Max needs a new key.
- Wh-question: Who needs a new key?
- Statement: My foot hurts.
- Wh-question: What hurts?
When the question word is any other part of the sentence, the auxiliary verb do comes after the question word and is followed by the subject and the main verb.
- Statement: She collects butterflies.
- Wh-question: What does she collect?
- Statement: They live on the coast of Maine.
- Wh-question: Where do they live?
Exercise 1-6
Complete the following questions based on the statements provided.
EXAMPLE:
- The performance starts at 7:00.
- When does the performance start?
1. The person in the back row knows the answer.
Who ——————————————
2. She looks healthy.
How ——————————————
3. They always go to that restaurant because they like the food.
Why ——————————————
4. They go golfing twice a week.
How often ——————————————
5. We turn left at the corner.
Where ——————————————
6. The notebook costs $3.00.
How much ——————————————
7. My mother worries too much.
Who ——————————————
8. You exercise every day at the gym.
How often ——————————————
9. Jerry and Carol repair computers.
What ——————————————
10. She teaches English.
What ——————————————
11. Mark blames other people for his problems.
Whom ——————————————
(Who may be used instead of whom in conversation and informal writing.)
12. Many people go to Cape Cod for their vacations.
Where ——————————————
Be Verb Forms, Simple Present
The verb be has three different forms in the simple present: am, is, and are.
Singular | Plural | |
First Person | I am | we are |
Second Person | you are | you are |
Third Person | he, she, it is | they are |
Exercise 2-1
Complete each sentence with the simple present form of the verb be.
1. I ————————- a student.
2. You ————————- taller than I ————————-.
3. My parents ————————- on vacation.
4. Misuzu ————————- from San Francisco.
5. My roommate’s name ————————- Chris.
6. They ————————- late again.
7. We ————————- ready for the test.
8. I ————————- interested in all kinds of sports.
9. It ————————- easy.
10. Your coat ————————- in the closet.
11. She ————————- the director.
12. They ————————- in class together.
The word there is often used with the verb be to acknowledge the existence of someone or something. The form of the be verb is based on the subject that follows it.
- SINGULAR SUBJECT: There is a concert in the park tonight.
- PLURAL SUBJECT: There are four rooms in the house.
Exercise 2-2
Circle the verb that agrees in number with the subject that follows it.
1. There is/are someone at the door.
2. There is/are several parks in the town.
3. There is/are fifty-two cards in a deck.
4. There is/are a restroom at the end of the hall.
5. There is/are sixteen students in the class.
6. There is/are a bank on the corner of Lincoln and Ash.
7. There is/are an information booth in the lobby.
8. There is/are many specialty stores in the Mall of America.
9. There is/are still tickets available.
10. There is/are a typo on page 3.
11. There is/are a huge fountain in front of the building.
12. There is/are only one possible answer to the question.
Forming Contractions: Pronouns and There with Am, Is, and Are
Contractions are often formed by combining pronouns and the verb be. The word there can also be combined with be. It is important to learn these contractions because you will often hear them in conversation or see them in informal writing. However, you should avoid using them in formal writing.
Notice that an apostrophe indicates that a letter is omitted:
- I + am = I’m
- we + are = we’re
- you + are = you’re
- they + are = they’re
- he + is = he’s
- there + is = there’s
- she + is = she’s
- it + is = it’s
Exercise 2-3
Rewrite each sentence using a contraction.
EXAMPLE:
- He is not here today.
- He’s not here today.
1. She is a student.
2. I am an engineer.
3. There is a test on Tuesday.
4. You are next.
5. It is difficult.
6. We are from Canada.
7. He is a supervisor.
8. They are really funny.
9. I am sick today.
10. There is a package for you on the table.
11. He is first on the list.
12. It is cold in here.
Forming Negatives
To make the verb be negative, just add not.
- am not
- is not
- are not
- I’m not
- it’s not
- we’re not
Exercise 2-4
Using contractions, make each of the sentences in exercise 2-3 negative.
1. ————————-
2. ————————-
3. ————————-
4. ————————-
5. ————————-
6. ————————-
7. ————————-
8. ————————-
9. ————————-
10. ————————-
11. ————————-
12. ————————-
Forming Contractions: Isn’t and Aren’t
The word not can be contracted with the verb forms is and are.
- is + not = isn’t
- are + not = aren’t
Exercise 2-5
Complete the sentences using either isn’t or aren’t.
- There ————————- a ball game tonight.
- There ————————- any rooms available.
- There ————————- a full moon tonight.
- There ————————- any cookies left.
- There ————————- many people here today.
- There ————————- much time.
Forming yes-or-no Questions
To form yes/no questions, begin the question with a form of the verb be and place the subject after it.
- Statement: Nancy is a doctor.
- Yes/no question: Is Nancy a doctor?
- Statement: They are friendly.
- Yes/no question: Are they friendly?
To form yes/no questions with there, place there after the be verb.
- Statement: There is a gas station near the freeway.
- Yes/no question: Is there a gas station near the freeway?
Exercise 2-6
Rewrite the following statements as yes/no questions.
EXAMPLE:
- It is late.
- Is it late?
1. Portland is in the state of Oregon.
2. Your car is in the garage.
3. He is in a good mood.
4. They are friends.
5. Sam is depressed.
6. Her computer is broken.
7. There are many items on the menu.
8. The coffee is too hot.
9. The city hall is the oldest building in town.
10. There is a bank near here.
11. The museum is open on Thursday evenings.
12. The lights are off.
Forming Wh-Questions
To form wh-questions, place the be verb after the question word. When the question word is the subject of the sentence, the form of the question is similar to the form of a statement.
- Statement: Someone is at the door.
- WH-Question: Who is at the door?
When the question word is any other part of the sentence, the subject follows the be verb.
- Statement: She is from Colorado.
- WH-Question: Where is she from?
- Statement: His birthday is July 11.
- WH-Question: When is his birthday?
Exercise 2-7
Complete the following questions based on the statements provided:
EXAMPLE:
- You are twenty-two years old.
- How old are you?
1. Kevin Lee is the editor of the local newspaper.
Who ————————-
2. She is five feet tall.
How tall ————————-
3. They are visitors from another school.
Who ————————-
4. His roommate is at work right now.
Where ————————-
5. The graduation ceremony is on Saturday.
When ————————-
6. The house is white.
What color ————————-
7. That is a bike lock.
What ————————-
8. The scissors are in the drawer.
Where ————————-
9. Sandy Craig is the producer.
Who ————————-
10. The children are at their grandmother’s house.
Where ————————-
11. The library is open until 8:00.
How late ————————-
12. They are in the cafeteria.
Where ————————-
Present Tenses
- Present Progressive Tense (Be Verb + -ing) In English
- Present Perfect Tense in English
- Present Perfect Progressive Tense in English
Past Tenses
- The Past Simple Tense in English with Helpful Examples
- Past Progressive Tense in English with Helpful Examples
- Past Perfect Tense in English with Helpful Examples
- Past Perfect Progressive Tense in English