Present Simple

Form Use Spelling Signal words Exercises

Form

Positive

Subject	Verb	Example
I / You / We / They	base form	I work every day.
He / She / It	base + -s / -es	She works every day.

Negative

Subject	Structure	Example
I / You / We / They	subject + don't + base verb	I don't work on Sundays.
He / She / It	subject + doesn't + base verb	He doesn't work on Sundays.

Questions

Type	Structure	Example
Yes/No	Do + I/you/we/they + base verb?	Do you work here?
	Does + he/she/it + base verb?	Does she work here?
Wh-	Wh- word + do/does + subject + base verb?	Where do you work?

Remember: With he, she, it — use does/doesn't in questions and negatives. The base verb has no -s: "Does she work?" (NOT "Does she works?")

Use

Use	Examples
Habits and routinesActions you do regularly or repeatedly — not just once, and not necessarily happening right now.	She drinks coffee every morning. We go to the gym on Tuesdays.
General truthsGeneralizations and common beliefs that people consider true, even if there are real exceptions.	Cats don't like water. Money doesn't buy happiness. The hero always wins in the end.
Scientific factsObjective facts about the natural world that can be observed and verified, with no exceptions.	Water boils at 100°C (at sea level). The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Permanent statesFacts about someone's life or situation that are stable and not expected to change soon.	He lives in London. I love pizza.
Schedules and timetablesA fixed timetable set by an organization — a train, a flight, a class, a TV show. NOT your own personal plans — those use "going to" or the Present Continuous instead.	✅ The train leaves at 8:30. (fixed timetable) ✅ The film starts at 9. (fixed timetable) ❌ I ~~leave~~ for Paris next week. → ✅ I'm leaving for Paris next week. (personal plan, not a timetable)
Instantaneous actionsDescribing an action at the exact moment it happens — sports commentary, demonstrations, recipes.	He passes to Ronaldo... Ronaldo shoots... he scores! First, I crack two eggs into the bowl.
Future time clausesAfter when, before, after, until, as soon as — use the Present Simple for a future action. Never "will" inside the time clause, even though the whole sentence is about the future.	I'll call you when I arrive. (NOT "when I will arrive") She'll start cooking as soon as he gets home.

General truths vs. scientific facts — not the same thing: General truths are generalizations, common beliefs, or ideas people consider generally true — proverbs, opinions, typical characteristics. They describe what usually happens or what's commonly accepted, even if there are exceptions: "Cats don't like water," "Love hurts," "The hero wins in the end." Scientific facts describe objective facts about the natural world that can be observed and verified, with no exceptions: "Water boils at 100°C," "The Earth revolves around the Sun," "Humans have red blood." Both use the Present Simple, but a general truth can have exceptions — a scientific fact can't.

One more place you'll see it: The Present Simple is also the tense used in the "if" clause of Zero and First Conditional sentences — see Zero Conditional and First Conditional for the full rules.

Spelling rules for he/she/it

Rule	When	Example
Add -s	Most verbs	work → works, play → plays
Add -es	Ends in -ch, -sh, -x, -o, -ss, -z	watch → watches, go → goes
-y → -ies	Ends in consonant + y	study → studies, fly → flies
Irregular	have / be	have → has \| be → is

Signal words

These words often appear with the Present Simple:

always usually often sometimes rarely never every day / week / year on Mondays in the morning once a week

She always has breakfast at 7 a.m.
He never drinks coffee.
We go to the cinema every Friday.