Present simple tense
Usage
This tense is used to describe general truths, habitual actions, and facts that are true in the present.
General truths:
- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
- The earth orbits around the sun.
- Dogs bark.
- Snow is white.
- Plants need sunlight to grow.
- The human body has 206 bones.
- Sound travels faster through solids than through air.
- Salt dissolves in water.
- Birds fly.
- The moon affects the tides.
Habitual actions:
- I drink coffee every morning.
- She brushes her teeth twice a day.
- They go for a walk after dinner.
- He reads the newspaper every day.
- She listens to music while she works.
- We eat dinner at 7 pm every night.
- He exercises at the gym three times a week.
- She watches TV before going to bed.
- They play soccer on Saturdays.
- I check my email every hour.
Facts:
- The earth is round.
- The heart pumps blood through the body.
- The Statue of Liberty is in New York.
- The Great Wall of China is the longest wall in the world.
- The human brain weighs about 3 pounds.
- The Amazon river is the longest river in the world.
- The Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
- Honey is a natural sweetener made by bees.
Formation
The present simple is formed by using the base form of the verb, also known as the infinitive without to.
Subject + Verb (base form)
Subject-Verb agreements
When the subject of the sentence is in the third-person singular form (he, she, it), the verb is formed by adding -s or -es to the base form of the verb
He watches football matches every Saturday night.
She sings very well.
It rains every summer.
When the subject of the sentence is a singular noun, the verb is formed by adding -s or -es to the base form of the verb
Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
My son watches movies every sunday.
Negative and interrogative forms
To form the negative form of the present simple, use the auxiliary verb do or does + not + the base form of the verb
I do not know Chinese.
He does not like meat.
To form interrogative sentences, use the auxiliary verb do or does before the subject, followed by the base form of the verb
Do you know Chinese?
Does he like meat?
Adverbs of frequency
The present simple is often used with adverbs of frequency, such as always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never. These adverbs indicate how often the action is performed.
I always go to bed before 11:00pm.
She sometimes goes to gym.
They seldom go to church.