How to use the simple present tense correctly

The simple present tense is used to talk about our everyday activities – things that we do regularly or at specific intervals. Before you start learning this tense form, think about things you do every day.

When do you get up in the morning?
I get up at six thirty in the morning.
What do you do in the morning?
I go for a walk in the morning.
When do you have breakfast?
I have breakfast at 8 am.
When do you go to office?
I go to office at 9 am.
What do you do?
I teach English at a public school.
Where do you live?
I live in Mumbai.
When do you have lunch?
I have lunch at one o’clock.
When do you go to bed?
I go to bed / sleep at ten o’clock.

Once you are comfortable talking about your own daily activities, you can start talking about other people’s routines. There is an important point to consider. In the simple present tense, when the subject is a singular noun (e.g. Rahul, Maya, pen, tree, dog, boy) or a third person singular pronoun (he, she, it), the verb takes the marker –s.

Susmita gets up at five o’clock. (NOT Susmita get up at five o’clock.)
Roopa works at a bank. (NOT Roopa work at a bank.)
She earns a six figure salary. (NOT She earn a six figure salary.)

The verb does not take the marker -s when the subject is a plural noun (e.g. books, pens, trees, dogs, boys) or pronoun (they, we, you).

The first person pronoun ‘I’ also doesn’t take the marker –s.

I run a website. (NOT I runs a website.)
You sing well. (NOT You sings well.)
They work at an insurance company. (NOT They works at an insurance company.)

Formation of questions and negatives

In the simple present tense, we make questions and negatives using do or does. Do is used when the subject is a plural noun or pronoun (you, we, they). The first person pronoun I also take the verb do.

What do I do? I run a website.
Where do they work? They work at an insurance company.

Does is used when the subject is a singular noun or a third person pronoun (he, she and it).

When does Susmita get up? Susmita gets up at five o’clock. (NOT When does Susmita gets up?)
Where does Roopa work? Roopa works at a bank.
Does she earn well? Yes, she earns a handsome salary.

Other uses of the simple present tense

We have already learned that the simple present tense is used to talk about your routine activities or habits. It has several other uses, too.

Jobs, hobbies, habits, interests etc.

You can use the simple present tense to talk about people’s jobs, hobbies, likes, dislikes etc.

Read the sentences given below.

Jobs

Anita writes plays for television.
Does Anita write poems?
No, Anita doesn’t write poems.
What does Anita write?
Anita writes plays for television.
My sister works at a nationalized bank.
Where does my sister work? Does she work at a school?
No, she does not work at a school. She works at a nationalized bank.

Habits

My father drinks coffee in the morning.
What does my father drink in the morning?
Does he drink tea in the morning?
No, he doesn’t drink tea in the morning. He drinks coffee.
I read the newspaper every morning.
What do I do every morning?
Do I watch television in the morning?
No, I don’t watch television in the morning. I read the newspaper instead.

Likes and dislikes

My daughter likes to play with her dolls.
What does my daughter like to do? Does she like to play hide and seek?
No, she does not like to play hide and seek. She likes to play with her dolls.
My son does not eat vegetables, but he likes fruits.
Does my son eat vegetables? No, he doesn’t.
Does he eat fruits? Yes, he eats fruits.
Maya collects coins. She does not collect stamps.
Does Maya collect stamps? No, she doesn’t.
Does Maya collect coins? Yes, she does.

Suggested activity

Frame as many sentences as you can about your job, hobbies, interests etc. Once you have formed the sentences, try to change them into questions using do or does.

General truths

The simple present tense is used to talk about things that are true all the time.

Read the sentences given below.

Heat melts ice.

This is a general truth. If you heat ice, it melts. That’s why we use the simple present tense here.

Birds fly.
Fire burns.
The wind blows.
Cats chase mice.
The sun rises in the east.
Heat expands bodies.
Most flowers smell sweet.
Honey tastes sweet.
Children rush about.
Parents look after their kids.
Plants need water and sunlight.

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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