ABC

Usage and Application

 

The simple present tense in English is used to describe an action that is regular (habits), true or normal.

 

1. Repeated or Regular Actions in the Present Time Period

 

• I take the train to the office.

• The train to Berlin leaves every hour.

• John sleeps eight hours every night during the week.

​

2. Facts

 

• The President of The USA lives in The White House.

• A dog has four legs.

• We come from Switzerland.

​

3. Habits

 

• I get up early every day.

• Carol brushes her teeth twice a day.

• They travel to their country house every weekend.

​

4.  Things that are Always or Generally True

 

• It rains a lot in winter.

• The Queen of England lives in Buckingham Palace.

• They speak English at work.

​

Grammar Structure

 

We form the present tense using the BASE FORM of the verb.

When using the third person singular we add S to the verb.

 

Subject	Verb	The Rest of the sentence
I / you / we /they	speak / learn	English at home
he / she / it	speaks / learns	English at home

 

 

The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb:

 

1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person.

 

• go – goes

• catch – catches

• wash – washes

• kiss – kisses

• fix – fixes

• buzz – buzzes

​

2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.

 

• marry – marries

• study – studies

• carry – carries

• worry – worries

 

NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.

 

• play – plays

• enjoy – enjoys

• say – says

​

Negative Sentences in the Simple Present Tense

To make a negative sentence in English we normally use don’t or doesn’t with all verbs EXCEPT To Be and Modal verbs (can, might, should etc.).

 

• Affirmative: You speak French.

• Negative: You don't speak French.​

​

You will see that we add don't between the subject and the verb. We use Don't when the subject is I, you, we or they.

 

• Affirmative: He speaks German.

• Negative: He doesn't speak German.

​

When the subject is he, she or it, we add doesn't between the subject and the verb to make a negative sentence. Notice that the letter S at the end of the verb in the affirmative sentence (because it is in third person) disappears in the negative sentence. We will see the reason why below.