The present simple is one of the twelve verb tenses that exist in English. Since it is one of the most used on a day-to-day basis, it is very important to know when it is used and what its structure is like in order to use it correctly.

In this post we will learn the present simple at level II, so the explanations are in English and the examples shown have an intermediate difficulty.

Uses of the present simple

We use the present simple for:

1. Explaining something that is generally true, as scientific facts or events that always happen in the same way.

The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Iron melts when it reaches 1,538 °C.
Andalusia is a hot region during the summer.
Santa Claus lives at the North Pole.

2. Expressing situations that are generally permanent, like preferences or personal circumstances.

Asim lives in Egypt, near the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Aunt Marisa speaks three languages at work.
Cristina doesn’t eat meat or fish because she is vegan.
My best friends enjoy playing racing video games.

3. Talking about habits and routines, like hobbies or daily life actions. Adverbs of frequency or time expressions are used to indicate their regularity.

Sometimes I get up at seven in the morning to go for a walk.
Elena usually plays board games on the weekends with her sister.
William and Paul don’t play soccer because they prefer volleyball.
My grandparents go to the beach twice a year.

4. Giving instructions on how to do something or give directions to get to a place. We use the imperative for this.

Plug in your computer, and then press the power button to use it.
Don’t put your name on the paper and answer the questions in order.
Continue to the end of the street and then turn right to get to the library.
Take a plane to Bristol and then two buses to Glastonbury.

Structure of the present simple

Affirmative sentences

Subject + verb + rest of the sentence

I go to our beach house every summer with my family.
My childhood friend Juan lives in Ireland.
The Troon Tornadoes win every game they play.
You drink too much fizzy drinks during weekends.

When the subject is the third person singular (he/she/it) we add –s to the verb. Depending on its ending. there are some exceptions that you can check here.

Negative sentences

Subject + auxiliary verb (do) + not + verb + rest of the sentence

I don’t go to our beach house every summer with my family.
My childhood friend Juan doesn’t live in Ireland.
The Troon Tornadoes don’t win every game they play.
You don’t drink too much fizzy drinks during weekends.

When the subject is the third person singular (he/she/it), we use does instead of do. This is the equivalent of -s in affirmative sentences, so we don’t have to add it.

Note: We usually use the contractions don’t and doesn’t instead of do not and does not: these are more used in a formal register.

I don't have ice cream during the summer. = I do not have ice cream during the summer.
Abdel doesn’t speak Arabic at school. = Abdel does not speak Arabic at school.

Interrogative sentences

Auxiliary verb (do) + subject + verb + rest of the sentence + ?

Do I go to our beach house every summer with my family?
Does my childhood friend Juan live in Ireland?
Do the Troon Tornadoes win every game they play?
Do you drink too much fizzy drinks during weekends?

When the subject is the third person singular (he/she/it), we use does instead of do. This is the equivalent of -s in affirmative sentences, so we don’t have to add it.

Present simple - Level II