SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

The simple present (also called present simple or present indefinite) is a verb tense which is
 used to show repetition,
 habit or generalization.
Less commonly, the simple present can be used to talk about scheduled actions in the near future and, in some cases,
actions happening now. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and simple present exercises.

Simple Present Uses

 USE 1 - REPEATED ACTIONS: - Use the simple present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual.

The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or

something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.

Examples:
a. I play tennis.
b. She does not play tennis.
c. Does he play tennis?
d. The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
e. The train does not leave at 9 AM.
f. When does the train usually leave?
g. She always forgets her purse.
h. He never forgets his wallet.
i. Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
j. Does the Sun circle the Earth?

 USE 2 -FACTS OR GENERALIZATIONS: - The simple present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true
before, is true now, and will be true in the future.

It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.

Examples:
a. Cats like milk.
b. Birds do not like milk.
c. Do pigs like milk?
d. California is in America.
e. California is not in the United Kingdom.
f. Windows are made of glass.
g. Windows are not made of wood.
h. New York is a small city. It is not important that this fact is untrue.

 USE 3 -SCHEDULED EVENTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE: - Speakers occasionally use simple present to talk about scheduled
events in the near future.

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This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation,
but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.

Examples:
a. The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.
b. The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
c. When do we board the plane?
d. The party starts at 8 o'clock.
e. When does class begin tomorrow?

 USE 4 - TO TELL STORIES: - To tell the events of a story that is happening now.

Examples:
I arrive at school. I see a girl crying. I ask her why she is sad. She says she hasn’t got any friends to play with. I tell
her that she can play with me.

Forming the Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense is quite easy to form. BASE FORM or BASE FORM + “S”

Let's look at the verb to run (whose base form is run). In the simple present tense, run looks like this:
Person Example

First person singular I run

Second person singular You run

Third person singular He/She/It runs

First person plural We run

Second person plural You run

Third person plural They run

In other words, it only changes in the third person singular (he / she / it). It adds either s, es or ies.

The Spelling Rules

 For regular verbs, just add s:
 For verbs that end in s, ss, sh, ch, x and o, add es:
 For verbs ending [consonant]-y, change the y to i and add es:

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THE NEGATIVE VERSION
am, is and are
To create a negative sentence, use "do not" or “does not” +
[base form of the verb]. (Use "does not" with third person The words am, is and are the simple present forms
singular (he / she / it).) of the verb be.
Examples: -  Use am with the pronoun I.
a. I do not like chocolate.  Use is with singular nouns like ‘my dad’ and
b. Angela does not run a youth club full of glue-sniffers. ‘the teacher’, and with the pronouns he, she and
c. I do not ride horses in the summer. it.
d. It does not always snow here in January.  Use are with plural nouns like ‘my parents’ and
e. Dawn does not play chess in the evenings. ‘Jenny and Mary’, and with the pronouns we,
you and they.
In speech and writing (especially informal writing), "do not" is
often shortened to "don't," and "does not" is often shortened to Examples:
"doesn't." If you want to add some emphasis, use one of the long a. I am twelve. The children are asleep.
versions (i.e., "do not" or "does not"), and emphasize the word b. I am in the garden. Computers are very
"not." expensive.
c. My mom is very tired today. My brother and I
are upstairs.
THE QUESTION VERSION d. The teacher is tall. We are in our bedrooms.
e. he is also pretty. You are my best friend.
 If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word f. Our dog is black. You and David are my best
order for a yes/no question: friends.
"do" or "does" + [subject] + base form of verb
Here’s a table to help you remember how to
Examples: -
 Do you like chocolate?
 Does Angela run the youth club?

 You can use the following word order for a question-word

question:
[question word] + "do" or "does" + [subject]+ base form
of verb

Examples: - there is and there are

 Why does Tony talk so quickly?
Use there with is and are to say what exists or what
 When do the farmers plant the corn?
you can have. Use there is with singular nouns, and
there are with plural nouns.
 You can use the following word order for a choice question:
"do" or "does" + [subject] + base form of verb + choice
A + or+ choice B

Examples: -
 Does Mark sing or dance?
 Do they want hamburger or sausages?

Present Continuous Tense

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The present continuous (also called present progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an ongoing action is
happening now, either at the moment of speech or now in a larger sense. The present continuous can also be used to show
that an action is going to take place in the near future.