The Present Simple Tense

(also called the simple present tense)

(Download this explanation in PDF)

We need to use the Present Simple a lot in English, so it's really important to understand it
well. Many students have problems with the form (or how to make it).

 If you'd prefer to learn about how to USE the Present Simple jump to this page.
 Or, click here for all the practice exercises about this tense.

Simple present tense with 'be'

The verb 'be' is different from the other verbs in this tense. Let's look at 'be' first:

Here's the positive form (positive means a normal sentence, not a negative or a question.
This is sometimes called 'affirmative')

Positive Positive Short Form

I am I'm
you are you're
he is he's
she is she's
it is it's
we are we're
they are they're

Click here to practise making the positive with 'be'.

Next, here's the negative. It's very easy. You only add 'not'.

Negative Negative short form

I am not I'm not
you are not you aren't
he is not he isn't
she is not she isn't
it is not it isn't
we are not we aren't
they are not they aren't

Click here to practise making the negative with 'be'.

And finally let's talk about the question form of the present simple with 'be'.

Firstly, here's the 'yes / no' question form:

Yes / No Questions
am I ?
are you ?
is he ?
is she ?
is it ?
are we ?
are they ?

Click here to practise making yes / no questions with 'be'.

If you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at the front:

Wh Questions
where am I ?
what are you ?
why is he ?
who is she ?
when are we ?
how are they ?

Click here to practise making 'wh' questions with 'be' .

Click here to practise making positive, negative and question forms with 'be' (exercise 1)
Click here to practise making positive, negative and question forms with 'be' (exercise 2)

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Present simple tense with other verbs

With all other verbs, we make the present simple in the same way.

The positive is really easy. It's just the verb with an extra 's' if the subject is 'he', 'she', or
'it'. Let's take the verb 'play' as an example:

Positive (of 'play')

I play
you play
he plays
she plays
it plays
we play
they play

 Don't forget the 's'! Even really advanced students do this!

 For a few verbs, there is a spelling change before the 's'. For example, 'study'
becomes 'studies'. Click here for a list of these verbs

 There are also few verbs which are irregular in the present simple:
1. 'have' becomes 'has'
2. 'do' becomes 'does'
3. 'go' becomes 'goes'

Click here to practise making the positive form for other verbs (exercise 1)
Click here to practise making the positive form for other verbs (exercise 2)

To make the negative form, you need to use 'do not' (don't) or ' does not' (doesn't).

Negative (of 'play')

I do not play I don't play
you do not play you don't play
he does not play he doesn't play
she does not play she doesn't play
it does not play it doesn't play
we do not play we don't play
they do not play they don't play

Click here to practise making the negative (exercise 1)

Click here to practise making the negative (exercise 2)

How about the question form of the present simple tense?

We use 'do' or 'does' before the subject to make the 'yes / no' question:

Yes / No questions
do I play ?
do you play ?
does he play ?
does she play ?
does it play ?
do we play ?
do they play ?

Click here to practise making yes / no questions.

Just like with 'be', if you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at
the front:

Wh Questions
where do I play ?
what do you play ?
why does he play ?
who does she play ?
when do we play ?
how do they play ?

Click here to practise making 'wh' questions

Mixed exercise 1
Mixed exercise 2
Mixed exercise 3
Mixed exercise 4 using both 'be' and other verbs
Click here for all the exercises about this tense

Next, I explain how to USE the Present Simple.

Los Pronombres en INGLES (Subjective Pronouns

Pronouns :

Singular: I , You, He, She It

Plural: We you they

El Verbo SER o ESTAR en INGLES

Verb to be (in the present form): am/is/are

Table # 1 (Positive form) Pronouns with the verb to be (am/is/are) and its
Contractions

A continuación mostraremos las diversas conjugaciones de los verbos SER o ESTAR en

inglés. Recuerden que en el idioma ingles solo hay un verbo “TO BE” para ser o estar. Es
decir, I AM se entiende como YO SOY o YO ESTOY. Esto siempre es de acuerdo al
contexto.

No se usan los auxiliares DO y DOES cuando se usa el verbo TO BE en el PRESENT

SIMPLE

“Subject” Verb Contraction

Pronouns
(To be)
1St I am I’m
2nd you are you’re
3rd He/She/It Is he’s / she’s / it’s

PLURAL
1st We are we’re
2nd You you’ re
3rd They they’re

Table 2 : (Negative form) Pronouns with the verb to be (am/is/are) and its
Contractions

“Subject” Verb Contraction

Pronouns
(To be)
1St I am + I’m not
not
 2nd you are + you’re not / you aren’t
not
3rd He/She/It is + not he’s / she’s / it’s + not

or

he/she/it + isn’t
PLURAL
1st We Are we’re not / we aren’t
+not
2nd You you’ re not / you aren’t
3rd They they’re not / they aren’t

Table # 3 (Questions)

Verb (to Subject Complement

be) Pronoun
(optional)
1St Am I a good student?
2nd Are you married?
3rd Is he/she/it your friend?

PLURAL
1st Are we ready?
2nd you at home
3rd they tired?

Table 4: Short answers (Yes and no answers)

Positive Negative
1St Yes, I am No. I’m not
2nd Yes, you are No, you aren’t
3rd Yes, he is No, he isn’t / No, he’s not

No, she isn’t / No, she’s not

No, it isn’t/ No, it’s not

 PLURAL
1st Yes, we are No, we’re not / No, we aren’t
2nd Yes, you are No, you’re not / No, you aren’t
3rd Yes, they No, they’re not / No, they aren’t
are

Observaciones:

 Recuerden que en ingles siempre deben poner el Sujeto. En una oración positiva o
negativa deberán seguir la formula (SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT) en
donde el complement es opcional.

Ejemplo :
– Es bonita
– Is pretty (INCORRECTO) –> No hay sujeto y en el ingles es necesario
– She is pretty (Correcto)

 No se enamoren del verbo to be. Solo quiere decir ser o estar. Algunos creen que
siempre lo deben poner pero depende de que acción haga el sujeto.

Ejemplo
– Juega futbol.
– He is play futbol (ERROR) –> el sujeto no hace 2 acciones a la vez.
– He plays football (CORRECTO)

Es decir, el sujeto puede hacer distintas acciones y el verbo to be solo es para expresar
acciones de ser o estar. En otras lecciones aprenderemos como hacer oraciones con otros
verbos

Algunos ejercicios de Grammar in Use Basic usando pronombres y el verbo to be en

ingles
Respuestas (Thanks toDinorín from México)
Hablaremos de :

– Nouns / Subjects / adjectives / verbs / adverbs / complement / modifiers

Nouns : (sustantivos)

Names a person, place, thing or idea (Nombra a una persona, lugar, cosa, o idea)

Examples: John, love, world, picture, Madrid

Subject: (Sujeto)

It is the person, place, thing or idea (a noun) that does the action of a sentence and it
goes before the verb. (Es el sustantivo que realiza la accion de la oracion)

Examples of Subjects:

– George likes boats (George and boats are nouns but George is the subject)

– The weather was horrible yesterday.

– The bank closed early.

Verb (verbo)

It shows the action of the subject. Every sentence must have a verb. (Hace la acción
del sujeto y toda oracion necesita de un verbo)

Examples:

– My wife went to France.

– We have studied English all night.

– I am writing a letter.

– She works for IBM company.

 Adjective (adjetivo): Describes a noun (califica a un sustantivo) – Examples : Blue

house , old man, interesting book, pretty woman etc…
  Adverb (adverbio): Describes the verb or adjective. (califica al verbo o adjetivo) –
Examples: He walks slowly / He studies quietly (muchas veces acaba en -ly)

Complement:

It completes the verb and it is usually a noun or noun phrase. Every sentence does not
require a complement. The complement answers the question what? or whom? (Es el
complemento del verbo y no es requerido tenerlo en toda oración).

 Modifiers: Tells about the time, place or manner of the action. (Hable del tiempo,
lugar y manera de accion del verbo)

Subject Verb Complement Modifier

John and I ate a pizza last week
We studied english last night

ebeg# 1 El Abecedario
ebeg# 2 El Artículo Determinado
ebeg# 3 El Artículo Indeterminado
ebeg# 4 Los Pronombres Personales — el sujeto
ebeg# 5 Los Pronombres Objeto — complementos del verbo

ebeg# 6 El Imperativo — órdenes y sugerencias

ebeg# 7 Verbo to BE en presente
ebeg# 8 Verbo to HAVE en presente
ebeg# 9 Verbo CAN en presente
ebeg# 10 El Sustantivo — género y número
ebeg# 11 Los Adjetivos Posesivos
ebeg# 12 Los Pronombres Posesivos
ebeg# 13 La Posesión — el genitivo sajón

ebeg# 14 HAY — there is & there are

ebeg# 15 Sustantivos Contables e Incontables
ebeg# 16 some, any, no & none
ebeg# 17 La Doble Negación
ebeg# 18 much, many, little & few
ebeg# 19 too & enough

ebeg# 20 Los Adjetivos Calificativos

ebeg# 21 Los Pronombres one & ones
ebeg# 22 La Comparación de Adjetivos — positiva
ebeg# 23 this, that & these, those

ebeg# 24 Respuestas Cortas

ebeg# 25 El Orden de la Oración
ebeg# 26 Partículas Interrogativas — W questions

ebeg# 27 Presente Simple

ebeg# 28 Adverbios de Frecuencia
ebeg# 29 Lista de verbos en presente
ebeg# 30 Presente Continuo
ebeg# 31 Usos del Presente Simple y Continuo

ebeg# 32 Preposiciones — in, on, at & by

ebeg# 33 Preposiciones — beside, between, behind…
ebeg# 34 Preposiciones — above, over, under, below & beneath
ebeg# 35 Preposiciones — for & to

ebeg# 36 Pasado Simple

ebeg# 37 Lista de verbos irregulares
ebeg# 38 to BE, to HAVE & CAN en pasado
ebeg# 39 HABÍA — there was & there were
ebeg# 40 Pasado Continuo
ebeg# 41 Usos del Pasado Simple y Continuo
ebeg# 42 all, each & every
ebeg# 43 everybody, everyone & everything
ebeg# 44 somebody, anything, no one…
ebeg# 45 all of you, none of them…

ebeg# 46 Presente Perfecto Simple

ebeg# 47 Usos del Pasado Simple y Present Perfect
ebeg# 48 already, yet, still & just
ebeg# 49 ever, never, lately, since…
ebeg# 50 Presente Perfecto Continuo
ebeg# 51 Usos del Present Perfect Simple & Continuous

ebeg# 52 Preposiciones — from, since, ago, for & during

ebeg# 53 Pasado Perfecto Simple

ebeg# 54 Usos del Past Perfect Simple y Pasado Simple
ebeg# 55 Pasado Perfecto Continuo
ebeg# 56 Usos del Past Perfect Simple & Continuous

ebeg# 57 as & like

ebeg# 58 in spite of, despite & instead
ebeg# 59 both, either & neither
ebeg# 60 another, other & others
ebeg# 61 but, though, although & however

ebeg# 62 Futuro Simple

ebeg# 63 Futuro Próximo: be going to
ebeg# 64 Presente Continuo con idea de futuro
ebeg# 65 Usos del Futuro Simple, Futuro Próximo y Presente Continuo
ebeg# 66 Futuro Continuo
ebeg# 67 Usos del Futuro Simple y Continuo

ebeg# 68 Futuro Perfecto Simple

ebeg# 69 Futuro Perfecto Continuo
ebeg# 70 Usos del Futuro Perfecto Simple y Continuo

ebeg# 71 Verbos que no van en gerundio

ebeg# 72 La Reflexión — los pronombres reflexivos
ebeg# 73 Diferencias entre Like & Would like to
ebeg# 74 Comparación de Adjetivos — negativa
ebeg# 75 Adjetivos terminados en —ed & —ing
ebeg# 76 Adverbios de Grado + adjetivo
ebeg# 77 here, there, somewhere…

ebeg# 78 Acuerdos y Desacuerdos

ebeg# 79 Verbos de los Sentidos
ebeg# 80 Usos y diferencias de prefer & rather
ebeg# 81 Adverbios de Grado + verbo
ebeg# 82 Introducción a los Phrasal Verbs

ebeg# 83 Verbos auxiliares — forma y uso

ebeg# 84 Verbos auxiliares — can & may
ebeg# 85 Verbos auxiliares — have to & must
ebeg# 86 Verbos auxiliares — should
ebeg# 87 Verbos auxiliares — used to, be used to & get used to

ebeg# 88 Invitaciones y Ofrecimientos

ebeg# 89 Pedirle a alguien que haga algo
ebeg# 90 Question Tags

ebeg# 91 Tabla de Gramática Comparada

ebeg# 92 Introducción al Condicional
ebeg# 93 Usos especiales de wish

ebeg# 94 Los Pronombres Relativos

ebeg# 95 Relative Clauses — introducción

ebeg# 96 Adverbios — tipos y formación

ebeg# 97 Adverbios de Tiempo
ebeg# 98 Adverbios de Grado — quite & rather
ebeg# 99 Adverbios de Modo
ebeg# 100 Comparación de Adverbios
Ejercicios pertenecientes a nuestro Curso de Inglés

 Verbo "to be"

 Tiempo Presente Simple
 Tiempo Presente Simple
 Tiempo Presente Simple - Negación
 Tiempo Presente Simple
 Tiempo Presente Simple
 Tiempo Presente Simple
 Imperativo
 Tiempo Presente Continuo
 Tiempo Presente Continuo
 Tiempo Presente Continuo
 Tiempo Futuro con "Going to"
 Tiempo Futuro con "Going to"
 Participios pasados
 Uso del auxiliar "Can"
 Uso del auxiliar "Can"
 Uso del auxiliar "Can" (Dictation)
 Oraciones negativas
 Simple Present vs. Simple Past
 Tiempo Futuro Simple
 Participios pasados
 Tiempo Pasado Simple
 Tiempo Pasado Simple - Negación

 Números hasta 20
 Números hasta 20 (Dictation)
 Números hasta 100
 Números hasta 100 (Dictation)
 Números hasta 100 (Dictation)
 Números
 Números ordinales
 Números ordinales (Dictation)

 Vocabulario: Alimentos
 Vocabulario: Alimentos
 Vocabulario: Alimentos
 Vocabulario: Alimentos (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Animales
 Vocabulario: Animales
 Vocabulario: Animales
 Vocabulario: Animales (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: La casa (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: La casa
 Vocabulario: Colores
 Vocabulario: Colores
 Vocabulario: La familia
 Vocabulario: La familia (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Hobbies
 Vocabulario: Hobbies (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Dar indicaciones
 Vocabulario: Dar indicaciones (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Prendas de vestir
 Vocabulario: Prendas de vestir
 Vocabulario: Prendas de vestir
 Vocabulario: Prendas de vestir (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Profesiones
 Vocabulario: Profesiones
 Vocabulario: Profesiones (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Transporte
 Vocabulario: Transporte

 Vocabulario: Transporte
 Vocabulario: Transporte (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Viajar en tren
 Vocabulario: Viajar en tren (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Trabajo
 Vocabulario: Trabajo (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Hablar por teléfono
 Vocabulario: Hablar por teléfono
 Vocabulario: Hablar por teléfono (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Clima
 Vocabulario: Clima
 Vocabulario: Clima (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Describir (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Nacionalidades
 Vocabulario: En un hotel
 Vocabulario: En un hotel
 Vocabulario: En un hotel (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: En un restaurant
 Vocabulario: En un restaurant (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Dar una opinión
 Vocabulario: Dar una opinión
 Vocabulario: Dar una opinión (Dictation)

 Los días de la semana

 La hora
 La hora (Dictation)
 Los meses
 La fecha
  This is/These are
 There is/There are
 There is/There are
 There is/There are
 How much / How many
 How much / How many
 Contables e incontables

 Plural de los sustantivos

 Comparativos y superlativos
 Comparativos y superlativos
 Adjetivos posesivos
 Pronombres posesivos
 Adverbios de frecuencia
 Adverbios de frecuencia

 Question tags
 Too / Enough
 Too / Enough
 Too / Enough

 Oraciones condicionales
Tipo 1
 Oraciones condicionales
Tipo 1

 Making questions
 Making questions
 Making questions
 Fill in the blanks

Ejercicios Adicionales

 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #1 - Simple Present - Simple Past

 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #2 - Simple Present - Simple Past
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #3 - Going to - Future Simple
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #4 - Simple Past
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #5 - Simple Past
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #6 - Simple Past
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #7 - Simple Past
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #8 - Simple Past
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #9 - Todos
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #10 - Todos
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #11 - Todos
 Gramática: Tiempos verbales #12 - Todos
 Gramática: Auxiliar "do" y Verbo "to be"
 Gramática: Adjetivos y pronombres posesivos #1
 Gramática: Adjetivos y pronombres posesivos #2

 Vocabulario: Acciones
 Vocabulario: Animales
 Vocabulario: Animales (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Casa
 Vocabulario: Clima (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Clima
 Vocabulario: Comida
 Vocabulario: Comunicación
 Vocabulario: Elementos de una oficina
 Vocabulario: Familia (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Frutas y verduras
 Vocabulario: Frutas y verduras
 Vocabulario: Frutas y verduras (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Instrumentos musicales (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Lugares y edificios
 Vocabulario: Medios de transporte
 Vocabulario: Nacionalidades (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Partes de la casa (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Partes del automóvil (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Partes del cuerpo
 Vocabulario: Partes del cuerpo (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Política (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Prendas de vestir
 Vocabulario: Prendas de vestir (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Profesiones y ocupaciones
 Vocabulario: Profesiones y ocupaciones (Dictation)
 Vocabulario: Restaurante
 Vocabulario: Fill in the blanks with one word #1
 Vocabulario: Fill in the blanks with one word #2
 Vocabulario: Fill in the blanks with one word #3
 Vocabulario: Fill in the blanks with one word #4
 Vocabulario: Fill in the blanks with one word #5

 Dictation: Numbers #1
 Dictation: Numbers #2
 Dictation: Months of the year
 Dictation: Days of the week

 Mini-exercise: Fill in with only one word #1

 Mini-exercise: Fill in with only one word #2
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with only one word #3
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with only one word #4
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the opposite word #1
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the opposite word #2
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the plural form of the words
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the past tense of the verbs #1
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the past tense of the verbs #2
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the past tense of the verbs #3
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the past tense of the verbs #4
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the past tense of the verbs #5
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the past tense of the verbs #6
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the articles a, an, the #1
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with the articles a, an, the #2
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with a preposition
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with in, on, at
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with at, on, from
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with on, off, down
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with drive or ride
 Mini-exercise: Fill in with much or many
 Mini-exercise: Match the opposite adjectives #1
 Mini-exercise: Match the opposite adjectives #2
 Mini-exercise: Match the opposite adjectives #3
 Mini-exercise: Match the opposite adjectives #4
 Mini-exercise: Find the words using the letters shown #1
 Mini-exercise: Find the words using the letters shown #2
 Mini-exercise: Find the mistakes and write the correct word #1
 Mini-exercise: Find the mistakes and write the correct word #2
 Mini-exercise: Find the mistakes and write the correct word #3
 Mini-exercise: Unscramble the words and form sentences

 Ejercicios de comprensión de lectura

 Ejercicios de comprensión auditiva
 Ejercicios de comprensión auditiva con canciones
 Ejercicios de comprensión auditiva con videos

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