The present simple is one of the first tenses learners meet, and it is one of the most common in English. We use it to talk about our lives: what we do every day, what we like, where we live and what is always or generally true.
The form is short, but two points need practice. With he, she and it, the verb takes an -s ending (she works, he goes). In questions and negatives, we add do or does, and the main verb goes back to its base form: Does she work? She doesn't work.
How to form the present simple
Use the base form of the verb with I, you, we and they. With he, she and it (and with singular nouns like my brother or the bus), add -s or -es.
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | subject + verb (+ -s/-es with he, she, it) | I live in Ankara. My sister lives in Izmir. |
| Negative | subject + don't/doesn't + verb | We don't eat meat. He doesn't eat fish. |
| Question | Do/Does + subject + verb? | Do you speak Spanish? Does your brother drive? |
| Short answers | Yes, subject + do/does. / No, subject + don't/doesn't. | Yes, I do. No, he doesn't. |
- Spelling with he, she and it: most verbs add -s (work → works, play → plays). Verbs ending in -s, -z, -sh, -ch, -x or -o add -es (miss → misses, wash → washes, watch → watches, fix → fixes, go → goes). After a consonant, -y changes to -ies (study → studies, carry → carries), but after a vowel it stays (buy → buys). Have becomes has.
- The -s ending has three sounds: /s/ after p, t, k and f sounds (stops, works, laughs), /z/ after most other sounds (plays, lives, goes) and an extra syllable, /ɪz/, after s, z, sh, ch and j sounds (misses, uses, washes, watches, changes).
- Contractions: don't = do not, doesn't = does not. After does and doesn't, the verb has no -s: Does he work? He doesn't work. (Not: Does he works?)
- The verb be is different: I am, you/we/they are, he/she/it is. Questions and negatives with be do not use do: Are you tired? She isn't at home.
When to use the present simple
1. Habits and routines
Use the present simple for actions that happen again and again: every day, on Sundays, twice a week. Adverbs like always, usually and never show how often.
- I get up at seven o'clock every day.
- She usually walks to work.
- We visit our grandparents on Sundays.
2. Facts and general truths
Use it for things that are true in general, not only at the moment: facts about the world, science and how things work.
- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
- Bees make honey.
- Light travels faster than sound.
3. Permanent situations
Use it for situations that stay the same for a long time, such as where people live, where they work and what they have.
- My parents live in a small town.
- He works for a big bank.
- I don't have a car.
4. Likes, opinions and other states
Verbs that describe states, not actions, are usually in the present simple, even when we mean right now. Common examples are like, love, hate, want, need, know, understand, believe and agree.
- I like this song.
- Do you understand the question?
- She doesn't agree with me.
5. Timetables and schedules
Use it for the fixed times of trains, buses, classes and events, even when they are in the future.
- The train leaves at 8:15.
- The movie starts at nine tonight.
- What time does the bank open tomorrow?
Words that often go with the present simple
- always
- usually
- often
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
- every day
- every week
- on Mondays
- in the morning
- at night
- once a week
- twice a year
- how often
Adverbs of frequency like always, usually and never go before the main verb (She always walks) but after be (She is always late). Longer expressions like every day usually go at the end: I call my mother every day.
Examples
Positive
- I drink coffee every morning.
- My sister teaches English at a high school.
- We often watch movies on Friday nights.
- The bus stops right outside my house.
Negative
- I don't like spicy food.
- He doesn't work on Saturdays.
- They don't live near the city center.
- It doesn't snow much here in winter.
Questions
- Do you speak French?
- Where does your brother work?
- How often do you go to the gym?
- What time does the supermarket close?
Present simple or present continuous?
The present simple describes habits, facts and permanent situations. The present continuous (am/is/are + -ing) describes actions happening now and situations that are only temporary. The same verb can appear in both, but the message is different.
| Present simple | Present continuous |
|---|---|
| I work in a bank. (my job; a permanent situation) | I'm working from home this week. (only for now) |
| He plays tennis every Saturday. (a habit) | He's playing tennis right now. (at this moment) |
| She usually wears jeans. (her normal style) | She's wearing a dress today. (different from usual) |
| Do you drink coffee? (in general) | Are you drinking my coffee? (now, at this moment) |
Common mistakes
- WrongHe go to school by bus.RightHe goes to school by bus.
With he, she and it, a positive verb in the present simple needs -s or -es.
- WrongShe don't like coffee.RightShe doesn't like coffee.
With he, she and it, the negative is doesn't (does not), not don't.
- WrongDoes she works here?RightDoes she work here?
After does or doesn't, use the base form of the verb, because the -s is already in does.
- WrongI am agree with you.RightI agree with you.
Agree is a verb, not an adjective, so it does not need am in front of it.
- WrongWhere you live?RightWhere do you live?
Present simple questions with verbs like live and work need do or does before the subject.
- WrongShe drinks always tea in the morning.RightShe always drinks tea in the morning.
Adverbs of frequency like always go before the main verb, not after it.
Nadia's working day
Examples of the present simple are highlighted.
Nadia is a nurse, and she works at a big hospital in the city center. She gets up at six o'clock every morning and has a quick breakfast. She doesn't drive, so she takes the bus to work. Her shift starts at seven. Nadia loves her job, but it isn't easy. She often works at night, and she doesn't see her friends very much. On her days off, she sleeps late, goes for a long walk and calls her mother. Her mother always asks the same question: "Do you eat well?" Nadia laughs and says yes. Does she tell the truth? Not always!
Present Simple quiz
8 questions. Choose an answer to see if it is right and why.
Read texts that use the present simple
Grammar sticks when you meet it again in real reading. These graded texts use this structure; each one has key words, audio and questions.
Present Simple: questions and answers
What is the present simple tense?
The present simple is the basic form of the verb (I work, they play), with -s or -es after he, she and it (she works, he watches). We use it for habits, routines, facts and situations that are generally true.
Why is there an -s on the verb after he, she and it?
It is simply a rule of English: in the present simple, the verb takes -s or -es with he, she, it and singular nouns (he plays, my mother watches). Older English had a different verb ending for almost every person; today only this one is left.
When do I use do and when do I use does?
Use does with he, she, it and singular nouns, and do with I, you, we, they and plural nouns. You need them in questions and negatives (Does she smoke? I don't smoke), and the main verb then stays in its base form.
Is it "I am agree" or "I agree"?
Say I agree. Agree is a verb, so it does not need am in front of it, just like I like, I want and I know.
What is the difference between the present simple and the present continuous?
The present simple is for things that are always, usually or generally true (I work in a bank). The present continuous is for actions happening now or around now (I'm working from home today).