(Practice the exercises from unit 4-7 in the Oxford Practice Grammar after

studying the following)

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE (based on chapter 5 – Oxford Practice Grammar by John Eastwood)

The simple present tense is one of several forms of present tense in English. It is used to describe habits,
unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements. The simple present tense is simple to form.
Just use the base form of the verb: (I take, you take, we take, they take) The 3rd person singular takes an -s at
the end. (he takes, she takes)

THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE IS USED:

 To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city (general truth)
 To give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.
 To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Your exam starts at 09.00
 To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

Be careful! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now.

EXAMPLES
 For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.
 For repeated actions or events
We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer.
 For general truths
Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.

 For instructions or directions

Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.
 For fixed arrangements
His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March
 With future constructions
She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.

FORMING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: TO THINK

Affirmative Interrogative Negative
Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I think Do I think? I do not think

You think Do you think? You do not think

He thinks Does he think? He does not think

She thinks Does she think? She does not think

It thinks Does it think? It does not think

We think Do we think? We do not think.

They think Do they think? They do not think.

NOTES ON THE SIMPLE PRESENT, THIRD PERSON

SINGULAR
 In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.
 Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary 'DO') + the infinitive of the
verb.
He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.
 Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
fly --> flies, cry --> cries
Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
play --> plays, pray --> prays
 Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

EXAMPLES

 He goes to school every morning.

 She understands English.
 It mixes the sand and the water.
 He tries very hard.
 She enjoys playing the piano.
Table Of Contents:
How to form Present Simple
Spelling rules for adding ‘-s’
When to use Present Simple
Expressions of time

The Present Simple tense describes things that are true, actions that happen many times,
and simple statements of fact.

via http://www.english-natali.ru/ru/poleznie/prs/index.html
I live in London.
I work in a bank.
I go to work every day.
I play football on Sundays.

How to form Present Simple

To make Present Simple, we use the base (infinitive) form of the verb without ‘to’:

To live → I live in London.

To work → I work in a bank.
To go → I go to work every day.
To play → I play football on Sundays.

With ‘he‘, ‘she‘, ‘it‘, add ‘-s‘ to the verb:

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 I drink coffee.
She drinks tea.
It tastes good.

Spelling rules for adding ‘-s’

There are some rules to remember when adding the ‘-s’ ending to verbs.

1. If the verb ends in -o, -ch, -sh, -ss or -x, add ‘-es‘.

I go to work. She goes to college.

I teach English. He teaches French.
I wash my face. She washes her hands.
I kiss her. She kisses me back.
I mix the drinks. She relaxes on the couch.

2. If the verb ends in a consonant (b, c, d, etc.) + –y, drop the –y and add ‘-ies‘:

To carry → She carries a bag.

To study → He studies history.
To fly → An airplane flies.

3. In Present Simple with ‘he/she/it’ the verb ‘have‘ has the form ‘has‘:

I have a pen and he has a pencil.

She has a book and she reads it.

4. In Present Simple, the verb ‘be‘ has the forms ‘am‘ for ‘I‘, ‘is‘ for ‘he/she/it‘ and ‘are‘ for
‘we/you/they‘:

I am a senior sister.
She is a student.
We are doctors.

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When to use Present Simple
We use Present Simple when we want to talk about fixed habits or routines, repeated
actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes, likes and dislikes.

via https://www.learnathome.ru/grammar/present-simple-in-english.html
Present Simple is used to express:

1) general truths and scientific facts (something that is always true)

Water boils at 100 °C.

The human body contains 206 bones.

2) something that happens regularly in the present (habits and routines)

Kate goes to dance club on Sundays.

I play football every weekend.

3) something that is true in the present (unchanging situations and permanent states)

Paris is the capital of France.

I‘m a student.
He lives in London.

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4) fixed arrangements or timetable events

Your exam starts at 09.00.

This train leaves at 6.30 a.m.

5) instructions and directions

Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.

6) something in the future after time words like ‘when’, ‘after’ and ‘before’ and
after ‘if’ and ‘unless’:

I’ll talk to John when I see him.

You must finish your work before you go home.

Let’s summarize the usages of Present Simple:

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via https://englishstudypage.com/grammar/simple-present-tense-english-grammar/

Expressions of time
Present Simple is often used with words like usually, sometimes, often, seldom, never or
when talking about specific time (at 10.30, every Sunday, in winter, etc.):

I usually have lunch in a small cafe around the corner, but on Sundays we go to a
restaurant.
I sometimes go to the cinema.
She never plays football.

Here’s a good video from Oxford Online English explaining how to use Present Simple
correctly:

See also:

Present Simple: Negative & Questions

The Verb ‘Be’ in Present Simple

Present Simple of Present Continuous?

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Table Of Contents:
Negative sentences in Present Simple
The verb ‘be’
Questions in Present Simple
Yes/No questions
Special questions
The verb ‘be’

PDF Version
The Present Simple tense describes things that are true, actions that happen many times,
and simple statements of fact.

via http://eng911.ru/rules/time/pravila-present-simple.html

Negative sentences in Present Simple

To make negative statements in Present Simple, we use:

do not (don’t) / does not (doesn’t) + the base form of the verb (infinitive without ‘to’)

Compare:

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via https://lingup.pro/training-machine/lessons-list/Essential_GIU/
Note: If you use ‘doesn’t’, don’t add ‘-s’ to the main verb.

– She doesn’t think.

NOT: She doesn’t thinks.

The verb ‘be’

When we use the verb ‘to be’ we don’t use ‘do’ or ‘does’. We say ‘am/is/are + not’.

I am from France. – I’m not (am not) from France.

You are late. – You aren’t (are not) late.
He is allergic. – He isn’t (is not) allergic.

Questions in Present Simple

To make questions in the Present Simple, we use ‘Do’ or ‘Does’. When we ask questions in
English, the word order is different:

Do/Does + subject + verb

Do you like oranges?

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 Does he work here?
Where does this train stop?

When do we use do or does?

Subject Do/Does Example

I do Do I have a coat?

You do Do you have a coat?

He/she/it does Does she have a coat?

We do Do we have a coat?

They do Do they have a coat?

Yes/No questions

To create a question that will be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, use ‘Do‘/’Does‘ (or
‘Don’t‘/’Doesn’t‘ for a negative question) + the base form of the main verb.

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via https://slideplayer.com/slide/7279748/
Do you like cake?
Does John walk to school?
Do Lauren and Sarah have bicycles?
Do we need more milk?

Note: If you use ‘Does’, don’t add ‘-s’ to the main verb.

– Does he write books?

NOT: Does he writes books?

Special questions

Special questions (also known as wh-questions) are questions that require more information
in their answers. They are made using wh- words such as what, where, when, why,
which, who, how, how many, how much.

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To make a special question, use the same word order as with yes-no questions but put a wh-
word before the verb ‘do’ or ‘does’. The structure is:

wh- word do or does subject main verb

Where does Libby go to school?

Why do I hate him?

How do you like your haircut?

When does the train arrive?

The verb ‘be’

With the verb ‘to be’, we do not use ‘do’ or ‘does’. We use ‘am’, ‘is’, or ‘are’. The word order
is the same.

Are you at home right now?

Is he angry at me?

Why are you here?

What is the answer?
Where are they?

Watch this video from GoEnglish and revise how to form positive, negative and interrogative
forms of Present Simple:

See also:

Present Simple: Statements

The Verb ‘Be’ in Present Simple

Present Simple of Present Continuous?

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 Simple Present Tense Exercise

In the simple present tense, the verb takes the marker -s when the subject is a singular noun
or pronoun. When the subject is the first person singular pronoun ‘I’ or a plural noun or
pronoun, there is no -s marking.

Fill in the blanks with the simple present tense form of the verb given in the brackets.

1. Father ……………… (go) to office every day.

2. I …………………. (want) to be a famous writer.

3. She ……………….. (earn) a nice salary.

4. Rahul …………….. (aspire) to be a rocket scientist.

5. My sister …………….. (sing) very well.

6. Raju ………………. (go) to school every morning.

7. My dog ……………….. (like) to chase cats.

8. My father …………….. (cook) delicious meals.

9. The rabbit ……………. (run) fast.

10. She …………………. (wear) a new frock every day.

11. Water ………………. (change) into water vapor on cooling.

12. My daughter …………….. (enjoy) reading books.

13. Rani ……………….. (stay) with her parents.

Answers
1. Father goes to office every day.

2. I want to be a famous writer.

3. She earns a nice salary.

4. Rahul aspires to be a rocket scientist.

5. My sister sings very well.

© www.englishpractice.com
 Simple Present Tense Exercise

6. Raju goes to school every morning.

7. My dog likes to chase cats.

8. My father cooks delicious meals.

9. The rabbit runs fast.

10. She wears a new frock every day.

11. Water changes into water vapor on cooling.

12. My daughter enjoys reading books.

13. Rani stays with her parents.

© www.englishpractice.com
Simple present tense exercise

The form of the verb used in a sentence is almost always determined by the number and
person of the subject. This can cause a great deal of confusion for beginner level students.

For example, in the simple present tense the verb takes the marker -s when the subject is a
singular noun or pronoun.

This grammar exercise tests your ability to use correct simple present tense forms.

1. I ………………….. playing cricket.

enjoy
enjoys
enjoying

2. She ……………………….. to wear expensive

dresses.
like
likes
is liking

3. My sister ………………….. in Chennai.

live
lives
am living

© www.englishgrammar.org
Simple present tense exercise

4. She ………………………… the right person for

this job.
is
are

Where ………………………. you live?

does
do
is

6. My brother ………………………. in the army.

serve
serves

7. She ……………………… the answer, but she

won’t tell me.
know
knows
knowing

© www.englishgrammar.org
Simple present tense exercise

If I …………………… the answer, I will tell you.

know
knows
knowing

9. ………………………… the books on that table.

Put
Puts
Putting

10. She ……………………… French.

know
knows
knowing

Answers
1. I enjoy playing cricket.

2. She likes to wear expensive dresses.

3. My sister lives in Chennai.

© www.englishgrammar.org
Simple present tense exercise

4. She is the right person for this job.

5. Where do you live?

6. My brother serves in the army.

7. She knows the answer, but she won’t tell me.

8. If I know the answer, I will tell you.

9. Put the books on that table.

10. She speaks French.

© www.englishgrammar.org
Table Of Contents:
Present Simple or Present Continuous?
Present Simple
Present Continuous
How to form
Adverbs of time

How do you choose between Present Simple and Present Continuous?

via https://s-english.ru/uprazhneniya/present-simple-present-continuous
Both Present Simple and Present Continuous are used to talk about something that
happens in present.

We use Present Simple when we want to talk about fixed habits or routines – things that
don’t change.

We use Present Continuous to talk about actions which are happening at the present
moment, but will soon finish.

Compare the following examples:

He is reading a book.
He reads every day.

‘He reads every day’ tells us that reading a book is something the speaker always does. It is
part of a routine or habit. This is a permanent situation.

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‘He is reading a book’ tells us that the speaker is reading a book right now. Soon this action
will be over. This is a temporary situation.

Present Simple or Present Continuous?

So, how do you choose between the Present Simple and Present Continuous?

Present Simple

1. We use Present Simple to talk about facts, hobbies and regular activities:

Tom lives in London. (fact)

I go swimming on Mondays. (regular activity)
Do you speak Russian? (question about a fact)

2. We use the Present Simple to talk or ask about things that are always true:

Do you speak English?

I don’t have a car, I prefer to ride a bike.

3. We use the Present Simple to express likes, dislikes and opinions:

I like football. (likes)

I don’t like tennis. (dislikes)
Do you love pop music? (question about likes)
I think it’s interesting. (opinions)

4. We also use the Present Simple to talk or ask about habits:

Peter goes for a walk every day.

Do you drink tea or coffee in the morning?

5. We often use the Present Simple with adverbs of frequency (always, sometimes, never,
etc.), or when we say a time, day or period (at 9.00, on Wednesdays, in spring, etc.):

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 Sometimes I dream about you.
I never walk alone at night.
Jane wakes up at 7.00 a.m.
He meets with his friends on Saturdays.

Present Continuous

1. We use the Present Continuous to talk about things happening now, or unfinished
activities:

Are you reading a book? (now)

They are building a new house. (it’s not finished yet)
Mary is studying French at university. (around now, not at the moment of speaking)

2. We use the Present Continuous to talk about future arrangements:

She is getting married on November 5th.

We’re leaving tomorrow.

3. We use the Present Continuous to talk about annoying habits (+ always):

You are always losing things.

The children are always fighting.

4. We use expressions like ‘at the moment’, ‘now’, and ‘today/this week/month/year’:

Michael is talking on the phone at the moment.

It’s snowing a lot this week.
I’m working in our Chicago office this month.

Note: The verbs ‘want‘, ‘like‘, ‘love‘, ‘need‘, ‘understand‘ and ‘believe‘ are not used in Present Continuous:

– I want something to eat. NOT: I’m wanting something to eat.

– Do you need a pencil? NOT: Are you needing a pencil?

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How to form
Let’s compare the forms of Present Simple and Present Continuous:

via https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/present-simple-i-present-continuous.html

Adverbs of time
Let’s compare the adverbs and adverbial phrases that are used with Present Simple and
Present Continuous:

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via https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/present-simple-i-present-continuous.html
Watch the video from Learn English from Nick Shepherd explaining the difference between
Present Simple and Present Continuous:

See also:

Present Simple: Statements

Present Continuous: Statements

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