Simple Present Tense: How to Use It, With Examples and Exercises
How to make the present simple
We use the present simple all the time in English, so it is important to know it well. Many students find the form difficult, so we will go step by step.
The verb be is different from all the other verbs. It has its own article, so here is just a short reminder. For the full guide with all the forms and exercises, read To Be: am, is, are.
Present simple: To be
| Positive | Negative | Question | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am (I’m) | I am not (I’m not) | Am I? |
| you | you are (you’re) | you are not (aren’t) | Are you? |
| he | he is (he’s) | he is not (isn’t) | Is he? |
| she | she is (she’s) | she is not (isn’t) | Is she? |
| it | it is (it’s) | it is not (isn’t) | Is it? |
| we | we are (we’re) | we are not (aren’t) | Are we? |
| they | they are (they’re) | they are not (aren’t) | Are they? |
With be we do not use do / does.
Examples:
- She is a doctor. (NOT:
She does be a doctor.) - He isn’t tired. (NOT:
He doesn’t be tired.) - Is she ready? (NOT:
Does she is ready?)
Present simple: other verbs
All the other verbs make the present simple in the same way. Let’s use the verb play as an example.
Positive
The positive is easy. It is just the verb. But if the subject is he, she or it, we add -s.
I / you / we / they play
he / she / it plays
Examples:
- I play tennis.
- He plays tennis.
- My sister plays the piano.
Never forget the -s with he, she and it. It is the most common mistake with this tense.
Some verbs change their spelling before the -s. Look at the table. Have is irregular: he has, not he haves.
| Rule | Verb | he / she / it |
|---|---|---|
| Most verbs: add -s | play | |
| work | ||
| Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o: add -es | pass | |
| watch | ||
| fix | ||
| go | ||
| do | ||
| Verbs ending in consonant + -y: change -y to -ies | study | |
| fly | ||
| Irregular | have |
Examples:
- She has a brother.
- He goes to school by bus.
- My father studies English.
- The train passes here every hour.
Negative
To make the negative, we use do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t) before the verb. We use does not with he, she, it.
I / you / we / they don’t play
he / she / it doesn’t play
Examples:
- I don’t like coffee.
- He doesn’t watch TV.
- They don’t live here.
After doesn’t, the verb has no -s. The -s is already in does.
- He doesn’t play tennis. (NOT:
He doesn’t plays tennis.)
Questions
To make a yes / no question, put do or does before the subject. We use does with he, she, it.
Do I / you / we / they play?
Does he / she / it play?
Examples:
- Do you play tennis?
- Does she live here?
- Do they speak English?
Here the verb has no -s either. (NOT: Does she lives here?)
We can answer with a short answer: Yes, I do. / No, she doesn’t.
For a question with a question word (where, what, when, why, who, how), put the question word at the front.
Examples:
- Where do you live?
- What does she do?
- When do they play?
PRESENT SIMPLE - the FIRST tense you must learn
Present Simple
Positive, negative, questions — other verbs and "be"
