Present Simple

Present Tenses Home / Present Simple / Present Simple 2 / Present Cont / Present Cont 2 / Present Simple or Present Cont

Form

Subject + Verb + Object

The present simple verb structure in English is the infinitive with exception of the third person singular, which is commonly the Infinitive + S.

Function

We use the Present Simple to:

talk about habitual activities, often with adverbs of frequency

He always plays football on Saturdays

We go to the cinema every Wednesday

talk about facts/permanent situations/truths

They live in England

It rains a lot in Scotland

I am a teacher

talk about/give opinions

I like pizza

We think that is a good idea

Do you like football?

We DO NOT use the Present Simple to talk about the PRESENT

To talk about the PRESENT we use the Present Continuous

I cannot answer the phone, I am cooking dinner

NOT: I cook dinner

NOTE: The facts/permanent situations we talk about using the present simple are true in the present but we are not referring to the present, we are talking about the truth.

Exceptions

In general verbs in the present simple are almost universally regular. There are four verbs that are irregular in the present simple.

These four verbs are fundamental to everyday language use. Only to be is irregular to any standard. The other three verbs simply have an adaptation of the third person S structure.

Please note that to be, to do and to have are auxiliary verbs while to go is a normal verb so in the negative form requires the use of the auxiliary verb

Spelling notes

As already stated, most verbs do not change from the infinitive except adding an S for the third person singular. This has the following minor exceptions for spelling: