Simple Present Tense Chart (All Rules Explained With Examples)

The simple present tense (also called the present simple tense) describes actions and situations that are generally true. It talks about facts or situations that are true in general, not just what is happening right now.

Look at the simple present examples:

• I drink tea every morning.

  What does this one describe?

• Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

  What does this one describe?

• My sister works at a hospital.

  What does this one describe?

None of them tells you what is happening at this exact moment. The first one describes a habit. The second one describes a fact that never changes. The third one describes a long-term situation.

That’s the heart of this tense. It answers the question What is generally true? rather than What is happening right now?

Why Is It Called the Simple Present Tense?

The name has two halves, and each half tells you something useful.

Present means the time frame is now — not the past, not a promise about the future.

Simple means the verb has no helping verb attached to it in positive sentences. Compare these:

One verb, standing alone. That’s what makes it simple.

Helping verbs do show up in negatives and questions (She doesn’t read. / Does she read?), but the positive form stays bare. Keep that picture in your head — it explains a lot of the rules.

SIMPLE PRESENT RULES

Base Form of the Verb

• eat
• go
• play
• finish
• carry

For I, you, we, and they, you use this form and nothing else:

• I eat rice.
• You go early.
• We play together.
• They finish at noon.

Third-Person Singular Rules

Third-person singular means one person or thing that is not the speaker or the listener: he, she, it, and any singular noun — my brother, the cat, this phone, Sara.

• he
• she
• it
• my brother
• the cat
• this phone
• Sara

With these subjects, add -s or -es to the verb:

Spelling Rules for Adding -s and -es

Most verbs simply take -s. A few groups need -es because of how the word ends.

Here is the same set of rules as a decision you can walk through:

• Ask firstIs the subject he, she, it, or one person or thing?
  No → base formThey finish at noon.
• ↓ Yes ↓
• Then check the endingDoes the verb end in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z or -o?
  Yes → add -espasses, washes, teaches, fixes, buzzes, goes
• ↓ No ↓
• One more checkDoes it end in a consonant + y?
  Yes → y becomes iesstudy → studies, carry → carries
• ↓ No ↓
• Everything else → add -sruns, plays, sleeps, works

Verbs Ending in -y

This rule trips up more learners than any other spelling rule, so it deserves its own look. Check the letter before the y.

• She carries her books in a canvas bag.
• The baby cries when she’s hungry.
• He buys vegetables from the market.
• My cousin stays with us in summer.

The Irregular Verb “Be”

Be refuses to follow any pattern. It has three present forms instead of two, and it never uses do/does for negatives and questions.

• I am a student.
• You are early today.
• She is a nurse at the city hospital.
• We are ready.
• They aren’t at home.
• Is the shop open?

Because be handles its own negatives and questions, adding do is always wrong:

• ❌Incorrect: Does she is a teacher?
• ✅Correct: Is she a teacher?

The Irregular Verb “Have”

Have is only slightly irregular. It behaves normally except in the third-person singular, where it becomes has instead of haves.

• I have two brothers.
• They have a large garden.
• She has a driving licence.
• The house has four rooms.
• He doesn’t have any change.
• Do you have a minute?

Watch the negative and question forms carefully. Has disappears there, because does already carries the -s:

• ❌Incorrect: Does she has a car?
• ✅Correct: Does she have a car?

Subject-Verb Agreement in the Simple Present

• Everyone loves a good story.
• Nobody wants to sit at the back.
• Somebody leaves the light on every night.

Two more situations worth noticing:

Simple Present Tense with the Verb “Be”

Be deserves extra attention because it does a different job from other verbs. Most verbs describe actions. Be describes identity, condition, age, feelings, and location.

More examples across everyday situations:

• The weather is cold this week.
• My shoes are under the bed.
• He is good at cricket.
• We are late again.
• The library is closed on Fridays.
• Their office is on the second floor.

• ❌Incorrect: I am agree with you.
• ✅Correct: I agree with you.

Agree is a verb, no “be” needed.

• ❌Incorrect: She has thirty years.
• ✅Correct: She is thirty years old.

• ❌Incorrect: I have cold.
• ✅Correct: I am cold.

Simple Present Tense with the Verb “Have”

Have mostly signals possession, relationships, and features.

• My grandparents have a farm outside the city.
• This restaurant has excellent biryani.
• Our school has three computer labs.
• The car has a flat tyre.
• I don’t have your number.
• Does the room have air conditioning?

• We have dinner at eight.
• She has a shower before bed.
• Do you have lunch at the office?

Simple Present Tense with Stative Verbs

Common Stative Verbs

More in context:

• I know her from school.
• We need more chairs.
• He owns two shops in the market.
• That song sounds familiar.
• Your idea makes sense to me.
• This box contains old photographs.
• The word fortnight means two weeks.

Why Stative Verbs Usually Do Not Use the Continuous Form

• ❌Incorrect: I am knowing the answer.
• ✅Correct: I know the answer.

• ❌Incorrect: She is wanting a new laptop.
• ✅Correct: She wants a new laptop.

• ❌Incorrect: This bag is belonging to my friend.
• ✅Correct: This bag belongs to my friend.

Some verbs live in both worlds. When they describe a deliberate action instead of a state, the continuous becomes possible — and the meaning changes:

Adverbs of Frequency in the Simple Present

Adverbs of frequency tell you how often something happens. They pair naturally with this tense because both deal with repetition.

Common Frequency Adverbs

Correct Position of Frequency Adverbs

Three rules cover nearly every sentence.

1. Before the main verb

   • I always carry an umbrella in July.
   • They often visit their cousins.
   • She never forgets a birthday.

2. After the verb be

   • He is always on time.
   • The shops are usually crowded on Sunday.
   • I am never late for class.

3. Between the helping verb and the main verb

   • I don’t usually eat dessert.
   • She doesn’t often call.

Some adverbs — usually, often, sometimes, occasionally — can also open or close a sentence for emphasis:

• Sometimes I read two books at once.
• We eat out occasionally.

Always, never, rarely, and seldom do not move to the start in ordinary statements. The exception is a command, where always and never open the sentence comfortably:

• Always check your answers twice.
• Never leave the stove unattended.

Practice Exercises

Fill in the Blanks

Put the verb in brackets into the correct simple present form.

1. My sister (study) at a medical college.
   Show answer

   studies Consonant + y, so the y becomes i before -es.

2. We (not / watch) television on weekdays.
   Show answer

   do not watch / don’t watch We takes do, and the main verb stays plain.

3. your father (drive) to the office?
   Show answer

   Does … drive Does carries the -s, so drive loses it.

4. The sun (set) around six in winter.
   Show answer

   sets A general truth with a singular subject.

5. Kamran (fix) computers for a living.
   Show answer

   fixes Verbs ending in -x take -es.

6. I (not / know) her phone number.
   Show answer

   do not know / don’t know Know is stative, so never “am not knowing”.

7. Those birds (fly) south every autumn.
   Show answer

   fly Birds is plural, so no ending at all.

8. The film (start) at eight sharp.
   Show answer

   starts A fixed schedule, so the simple present covers the future.

9. She (have) three cousins in Islamabad.
   Show answer

   has Have becomes has after he, she, or it.

10. Butter (melt) quickly in the pan.
    Show answer

    melts Butter is uncountable, and uncountable nouns take the -s form.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct option.

Correct so far: 0 of 8

1. He tea without sugar. a) drink b) drinks c) is drinking

2. they live in this building? a) Do b) Does c) Are

3. My laptop work properly. a) don’t b) doesn’t c) isn’t

4. Water at zero degrees Celsius. a) freeze b) freezes c) is freezing

5. She always late for meetings. a) do b) does c) is

6. your mother speak French? a) Do b) Does c) Is

7. The bread (be) baked every morning. a) is b) are c) am

8. I what you mean. a) am understanding b) understand c) understands

Sentence Correction

Find the error and rewrite each sentence correctly.

1. She don’t like long journeys.
   Show answer

   She doesn’t like long journeys.

2. Does he plays cricket on Sundays?
   Show answer

   Does he play cricket on Sundays?

3. My brother go to the gym every evening.
   Show answer

   My brother goes to the gym every evening.

4. I am agree with your plan.
   Show answer

   I agree with your plan.

5. The shops closes at nine.
   Show answer

   The shops close at nine. shops is plural

6. Where she does live?
   Show answer

   Where does she live?

7. He have a red bicycle.
   Show answer

   He has a red bicycle.

8. Every Friday we are visiting our grandparents.
   Show answer

   Every Friday we visit our grandparents.

Rewrite the Sentence

Rewrite each sentence as instructed.

1. She writes poems. (make it negative)
   Show answer

   She doesn’t write poems.

2. They live in Quetta. (make it a question)
   Show answer

   Do they live in Quetta?

3. He doesn’t play the piano. (make it positive)
   Show answer

   He plays the piano.

4. The chef prepares the sauce. (change to passive)
   Show answer

   The sauce is prepared by the chef.

5. Do you speak Arabic? (make it a statement about “he”)
   Show answer

   He speaks Arabic.

6. I usually take the bus. (move the adverb to the start of the sentence)
   Show answer

   Usually I take the bus.

Make Questions

Write a question for each answer. The clue in brackets tells you what to ask about.

1. She works at a school. (where)
   Show answer

   Where does she work?

2. The class starts at nine. (what time)
   Show answer

   What time does the class start?

3. He visits his aunt twice a month. (how often)
   Show answer

   How often does he visit his aunt?

4. They travel by train because it’s cheaper. (why)
   Show answer

   Why do they travel by train?

5. This shirt costs eight hundred rupees. (how much)
   Show answer

   How much does this shirt cost?

6. Bilal makes the best coffee in the office. (who — as subject)
   Show answer

   Who makes the best coffee in the office? The question word is the subject, so there’s no does here.

Answer Key

Frequently Asked Questions