Simple Present Tense in English Grammar

When to use simple present

We use the simple present tense for:

• facts

  Example:

  Mona is a student. She studies biology.

• repeated actions and routines (signal words: every, always, often …)

  Example:

  On Saturdays, she works in a shop.

• a list of actions that happen one after the other

  Example:

  She gets home, makes a cup of tea then does her homework.

• schedules and timetables (also for the future)

  Example:

  Her class starts at 9 am tomorrow.

Signal words for the simple present tense

The following are signal words for the simple present:

• always, normally, usually
• often, sometimes, seldom
• never
• every day/week/month/…

Simple present vs. other present tenses

In addition to the simple present, there are three more present tenses in English grammar: the present progressive, the present perfect and the present perfect progressive. Each one has a different function.

You can learn when to use which present tense over in Lingolia’s English Tense Comparison section:

• Tense comparison: simple present – present progressive
• Tense comparison: simple present – present perfect progressive
• Tense comparison: present perfect – present perfect progressive

How to conjugate the simple present

To conjugate the simple present, the following rules apply:

Affirmative sentences

Add -s in the 3rd person singular (he/she/it). All other forms are the same as the infinitive of the verb.

3rd person s spelling rules

There are some spelling rules for the 3rd person s.

• add -es when the verb ends in -o, -ch, -sh or -ss

Example:

do → does

go → goes

• the ending consonant + y becomes -ies

Example:

I study → she studies

• modal verbs (can, may, might, should, would, must) never take an s in the 3rd person singular

Example:

I can → he can

not: he cans

Negative sentences

To form negative sentences in the simple present, use the auxiliary verbs don’t and doesn’t followed by the infinitive.

The full forms of don’t and doesn’t are do not and does not. We use them in formal contexts.

Questions

To make simple present questions, use the auxiliary verbs do and does. They come before the subject.

How to conjugate the verb be in simple present

The verb be is irregular in all forms in the simple present.

The tables below show the full conjugation of the verb be along with contractions (short forms).

be in simple present: positive sentences

*the contraction ’re can’t be used after nouns

Example:

Mona and Paul are students.

not: Mona and Paul’re students.

be in simple present: negative sentences

In negative sentences, we can also use the contractions …’re not and …’s not instead of aren’t and isn’t. However, there are some extra rules:

• The contraction …’re (not) can only follow the pronouns you/we/they.

Example:

They’re not late.

not: The girls’re not late.

• The contraction …’s (not) can’t follow nouns that end in an -s sound.

Example:

Paul’s not here. = He’s not here.

but not: James’s not here.

be in simple present: questions

The verb comes first in questions with be:

The verb be in simple present appears in the structure there is/there are. This is an essential phrase in English, so be sure to head over to our page all about how to use there is/there are.

The verb have in simple present

The verb have is irregular in the 3rd person singular: he/she/it has.

Example:

Every week, she has the same routine.

not: she haves

All other forms follow the standard conjugation pattern.

have got

The phrase have got is just a more informal way to say have.

Example:

I’ve got a problem. = I have a problem

He’s got a cat. = He has a cat.

The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different.

The tables below shows how to conjugate have got in all forms.

Positive

*The contraction ’ve can only be used after the pronouns I/you/we/they, not after nouns.

Negative

Question

In questions with have got, the verb comes first.