To form the affirmative, we use the base form of the verb, which is the infinitive without the word to, except for the third person singular (he, she, it), where we add an s to the verb.

Subject + Base Form of Verb + S/es (for third person singular)

Some adverbs that are commonly used with the present simple (simple present) tense are: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, regularly, frequently, occasionally, seldom.

These adverbs are used to describe how often an action or event takes place in the present.

Examples: I usually wake up early in the morning.

She sometimes plays tennis on weekends.

They rarely eat fast food.

He never forgets his keys.

I walk to work every day (present simple tense of walk in first person singular).

She plays the guitar very well (present simple tense of play in third person singular).

We study English at school (present simple tense of “study” in first person plural).

The Negative Form of the Present Simple:

The negative form of the present simple tense is used to talk about actions or situations that are not true or habitual in the present.

To form the negative, we use the auxiliary verb do (conjugated to match the subject) + not + base form of the verb.

Subject + Do/Does + Not + Base Form of Verb

Examples: I do not eat meat (present simple tense of eat in first person singular, negative form).

He does not like to swim (present simple tense of like in third person singular, negative form).

We do not watch television in the morning (present simple tense of watch in first person plural, negative form).

The Question Form of the Present Simple Tense:

The question form of the present Simple tense is used to ask about actions or situations in the present.

To form the question, we invert the subject and the auxiliary verb do (conjugated to match the subject), and add the base form of the verb at the end.

Do/Does + Subject + Base Form of Verb

Examples: Do you like to read books? (present simple tense of like in second person singular, question form).

Does she play tennis on the weekends? (present simple tense of play in third person singular, question form).

Do they study history at school? (present simple tense of study in third person plural, question form).

Note: The auxiliary verb do is used in the negative and question forms of the present simple tense for all persons except the third person singular.

In the third person singular, the auxiliary verb does is used instead of do.

I	study	Do not (don’t) study	Do I study?
You	study	Do not (don’t) study	Do you study?
He/She/It	studies	Does not (doesn’t) study	Does he/she/it study?
We	study	Do not (don’t) study	Do we study?
They	study	Do not (don’t) study	Do they study?

Note that for the third person singular (he, she, it), the verb form adds -s in the affirmative form.

Examples:

Affirmative: She studies Spanish on Saturdays.

Negative: They do not (don’t) watch TV in the morning.

Question: Do you like coffee?

The Present Simple in various situations:

The present simple tense is used to talk about various situations, including:

Habits and routines: We use the present simple tense to talk about actions or situations that are habitual or routine in the present.

For example: I walk to work every day.

Everyday actions: We use the present simple tense to talk about actions that happen regularly or repeatedly in the present.

For example, She plays tennis on weekends.

General statements: We use the present simple tense to make general statements or truths about situations or events.

For example, Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

Future events: We use the present simple tense to talk about future events that are scheduled or planned.

For example, The concert starts at 8 p.m. tonight.

It’s important to note that the present simple tense is not typically used to talk about future events that are not scheduled or planned, in which case the present continuous or future tense would be more appropriate.

The present simple tense for future actions:

Additionally, the present simple tense is not typically used for actions that are happening right now (for which we use the present continuous tense).

There are some verbs in English that do not use the -ing ending to form the present continuous tense.

These verbs typically describe states or non-continuous actions.

Some examples of such verbs include:

Mental and emotional states: believe, hate, love, like, prefer, think, want, wish, etc.

Examples: I hate spiders.

She wishes she could speak Spanish fluently.

Senses: hear, see, taste, smell, feel, etc.

Examples: I hear a strange noise outside.

She smells the flowers in the garden.

Communication: say, tell, ask, etc.

Examples: He tells me a funny story.

She asks a question in class.

Verbs indicating existence: exist, be, seem, appear, etc.

Examples: The solution to the problem exists.

He seems very happy today.

When using these verbs to describe ongoing actions, we typically use the present simple tense.

For example, I believe in hard work.

She loves reading books.

However, if we want to emphasise the ongoing nature of these actions, we can use adverbs such as constantly, continuously, or always.

For example, He’s always thinking about the future.

The Present Simple Tense in the Adverbial Clauses:

Adverbial clauses can be introduced by subordinating conjunctions, such as if, unless, provided that, until, till, as soon as, as long as, etc.

In the case of present simple tense, it is true that it can be used in adverbial clauses that describe future actions, when used with certain conjunctions.

For example:

If you come early, we can have breakfast together.

Unless he apologises, I won’t forgive him.

Provided that you finish your work on time, you can leave early.

I will wait until/till you finish your meal.

As soon as she arrives, we will start the meeting.

You can stay as long as you like.

In all these examples, the present simple tense is used to describe future actions that are conditional on something else happening (as in the first three examples), or actions that will take place immediately after another action (as in the last two examples).

The present simple tense is commonly used in adverbial clauses with these conjunctions to describe future actions, as it is the most appropriate tense for indicating habitual or repeated actions, general truths, or permanent states.

The Present Simple with Motion Verbs:

The present simple tense can be used with motion verbs such as : leave, start, sail, return, arrive, go, and come to describe future actions.

For example: I leave for work at 8:00 a.m. every day.

The ship sails for Hawaii tomorrow.

They return from vacation next week.

The train arrives at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.

We go to the concert next Saturday.

He comes to visit us every summer.

In all these examples, the present simple tense is used to describe future actions that are habitual, repeated, or part of a schedule or plan.

The present simple tense is commonly used in such cases because it is the most appropriate tense for indicating habitual or repeated actions, general truths, or permanent states.

It is important to note that while the present simple tense can be used to describe future actions with these motion verbs, it is also possible to use other tenses, such as the present continuous or the future tense, depending on the context and the speaker’s intended meaning.

The different situations in which the Present Simple tense is commonly used are:

Situation/Use	Examples
Habitual or repeated actions	I play tennis every Saturday. She reads a book before going to bed. They always arrive late.
General truths and facts	The earth revolves around the sun. Water boils at 100°C. The sky is blue.
Permanent states	I live in New York. He speaks five languages. She has brown eyes.
Scheduled events	The concert starts at 7:00 p.m. The meeting begins in half an hour. The train leaves at 9:00 a.m.
Narrating stories, plays, or movies	The hero defeats the villain. She says goodbye and leaves. He walks down the street.
Commenting on sports events or performances	He scores a goal. They win the match. She sings beautifully.
Giving instructions or directions	First, you mix the flour and sugar. Then, you add the eggs. You turn left at the traffic light.
Stating opinions or beliefs	I think that’s a good idea. He believes in equal rights. They prefer the beach to the mountains.