Present Simple Tense. Use, Examples and Exercises.

Present simple tense

1. We use the present simple to talk about things in general. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general:

• Nurses look after patients in hospitals.
• I usually go away at weekends.
• The earth goes round the sun
• The café opens at 7.30 in the morning

2. We use the present simple to say how often we do things:

• I get up at 8 o’clock every morning.
• How often do you go to the dentist?
• Julie doesn’t drink tea very often.
• Robert usually goes away two or three times a year.

Summary

Present Simple Tense

The present simple tense (also called the simple present) is used to express

habits, facts, and timetables.

Structures of the present simple tense

Affirmative: The base form of the verb. It is usually conjugated for the third person

singular by adding “-s” or “-es” to the end of the verb (except for

irregular verbs).

Question: Use the auxiliary verb do (or does for the third-person singular)

before the main verb.

Negative: Use do not (contracted as don’t) or does not (contracted as doesn’t)

before the main verb.

Examples:

“I go to work every day.”

“He works in finance.”

“I don’t go out very often.”

“Do you eat breakfast every morning?”

“The sun rises in the East.”

“The sun doesn’t rise in the West.”

“The train leaves at 9:30 tomorrow morning.”

“It doesn’t leave from platform 12.”

“Does the train for Detroit leave at 9 AM tomorrow?”

With the verb be

The linking verb be has three different conjugations for grammatical person in

the present tense: am (first-person singular); are (first-person plural, second

person, and third-person plural); and is (third-person singular). Be does not need

do when making questions or negative statements in the present simple tense.

Affirmative: “I am from the United States.”

Question: “Is he Canadian?”

Negative: “They are not British.”

Exercises

1. Complete the sentences using the following verbs

Cause(s)   connect(s)  drink(s)   live(s)   open(s)   speak(s)      take(s)

1. Tanya speaks German very well.
2. I don’t often…………………. coffee
3. The swimming pool ………….at 7.30 every morning.
4. Bad driving……………. many accidents.
5. My parents…………in a very small flat.
6. The Olympic Games………place every four years.
7. The Panama Canal………the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

1. Put the verb into the correct form
2. Julie doesn’t drink (not/drink) tea very often.
3. What time…………. (the banks/close here) here?
4. I’ve got a computer but …………. (not/use) it much.
5. ‘Where…………. (Martin/come) from?’ He is Scottish.
6. ‘What …………. (you/do)?’ ‘I’m an electrician’.
7. It …………. (take) me an hour to get to work. How long………(it/take) you?
8. David isn’t very fit. He …………. (not/do) any sport.