Present Simple Tense

2: Similarly, we need to
1: We use the
use this tense for a

USES:
present simple when
situation that we think
something is
is more or less
generally or always
permanent. (See the
true.
present continuous for
People need food.
3: The next use is for temporary
It snows in winter
habits or things that we situations.)Where do
here.
do regularly. We often you live?
Two and two make
use adverbs of She works in a bank.
four
frequency (such as I don't like mushrooms.
'often', 'always' and
'sometimes') in this
case, as well as 4: We can also use the present simple for
expressions like 'every short actions that are happening now. The
Sunday' or 'twice a actions are so short that they are finished
month'. almost as soon as you've said the
Do you smoke? sentence. This is often used with sports
I play tennis every commentary.He takes the ball, he runs
Tuesday. down the wing, and he scores!
I don't travel very often.
Future Uses:
6: We also use the
present simple to talk
5: We use the present
about the future after
simple to talk about the
words like ' 'when',
future when we are
'until', 'after', 'before' and
discussing a timetable
'as soon as'. These are
or a fixed plan. Usually,
sometimes called
the timetable is fixed by
subordinate clauses of
an organisation, not by
time.I will call you when
us.School begins at nine
I have time. (Not 'will
tomorrow.
have'.)
What time does the film
I won't go out until it
start?
stops raining.
The plane doesn't arrive
I'm going to make
at seven. It arrives at
dinner after I watch the
seven thirty.
news.
Conditional Use:

7: We use the present simple in

the first and the zero
conditionals.

If it rains, we won't come.

If you heat water to 100
degrees, it boils.
Here's the positive form:

Positive Short
Positive
Form
I am I'm
you are you're
he is he's
she is she's
it is it's
we are we're
they are they're

Present Simple Verb “BE”

Next, here's the negative. It's very easy. You only add 'not'.

Negative short
Negative
form
I am not I'm not
you are not you aren't
he is not he isn't
she is not she isn't
it is not it isn't
we are not we aren't
they are not they aren't
And finally let's talk about the question form of the present simple with 'be'.
Firstly, here's the 'yes / no' question form:

Yes / No Questions Answer

am I ? Yes, I am/ no, I am not
are you ? Yes, you are/ no you aren’t
is he ? Yes, he is/ no, He isn’t
is she ? Yes, she is/ no, she isn’t
is it ? Yes, it is/ no it, isn’t
are we ? Yes, we are/ no we aren’t
are they ? Yes, They are/ No, they aren’t
If you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at the front:

Wh Questions
where am I ?
what are you ?
why is he ?
who is she ?
when are we ?
how are they ?
 Present Simple (other verbs)
With all other verbs, we make the present simple in the same way.
The positive is really easy. It's just the verb with an extra 's' if the subject is 'he', 'she',
or 'it'. Let's take the verb 'play' as an example:

Positive (of 'play')

Don't forget the 's'! Even really advanced
I play
students do this!
you play For a few verbs, there is a spelling change before
the 's'. For
he plays
example, 'study' becomes 'studies'. There are
she plays also few verbs which are irregular in the present
simple:
it plays
'have' becomes 'has'
we play 'do' becomes 'does'
'go' becomes 'goes'
they play
 To make the negative form, you need to use 'do not' (don't)
or ' does not' (doesn't).

Negative (of 'play')

I do not play I don't play

you do not play you don't play

he does not play he doesn't play

she does not play she doesn't play

it does not play it doesn't play

we do not play we don't play

they do not play they don't play

 How about the question form of the present simple tense?
We use 'do' or 'does' before the subject to make the 'yes / no'
question:

Yes / No questions answer

do I play ? Yes, I do/ no, I don’t
do you play ? Yes, you do/no you don’t
does he play ? Yes, she does/ no she doesn’t
does she play ? Yes, he does/ no, he doesn’t
does it play ? Yes, it does/ np , it doesn’t
do we play ? Yes, we do/ no, we don’t
do they play ? Yes, they are/ no, they aren’t
 Just like with 'be', if you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you
just put the question word at the front:

Wh Questions
where do I play ?
what do you play ?
why does he play ?
who does she play ?
when do we play ?
how do they play ?
Present Continuous
tense
 Present Continuous uses:

1: First, we use the present continuous for things that are happening at the moment
of speaking. These things usually last for quite a short time and they are not finished
when we are talking about them.

• I'm working at the moment.

• Please call back as we are eating dinner now.
• Julie is sleeping.

2: We can also use this tense for other kinds of temporary situations, even if the
action isn't happening at this moment.
John's working in a bar until he finds a job in his field. (He might not be working
now.)
• I'm reading a really great book.
• She's staying with her friend for a week.

Compare this with the present simple, which is used for permanent situations that
we feel will continue for a long time.
I work in a school. (I think this is a permanent situation.)
I'm working in a school. (I think this is a temporary situation.)
 3: We can use the present continuous for temporary or new
habits (for normal habits that continue for a long time, we use
the present simple). We often use this with expressions like
'these days' or 'at the moment'.
• He's eating a lot these days.
• She's swimming every morning (she didn't use to do this).
• You're smoking too much.

4: Another present continuous use is for habits that are not regular, but that happen
very often. In this case we usually use an adverb like 'always', 'forever' or
'constantly'. Often, we use the present continuous in this way to talk about an
annoying habit.
• You're forever losing your keys!
• She's constantly missing the train.
• Lucy's always smiling!

Future uses:
5: The next use is for definite future arrangements (with a future time word). In this
case we have already made a plan and we are pretty sure that the event will
happen in the future.
• I'm meeting my father tomorrow.
• We're going to the beach at the weekend.
• I'm leaving at three.
The present continuous (sometimes called the present progressive) tense in English
is really easy to make and is the same for all verbs. We make it using the present
simple of 'be' + verb-ing:

Here is how we make the positive:

Positive Positive Short Form

I am sleeping I'm sleeping
you are sleeping you're sleeping
he is sleeping he's sleeping
she is sleeping she's sleeping
it is sleeping it's sleeping
we are sleeping we're sleeping
they are sleeping they're sleeping
 We can make the negative by adding 'not':

Negative Negative Short Form

I am not sleeping
you are not playing
he is not reading
she is not working
it is not raining
we are not cooking
they are not listening
I'm not sleeping
you aren't playing
he isn't reading
she isn't working
it isn't raining
we aren't cooking
they aren't listening
 Questions are also really, really easy. Just like we made the
question with 'be' in the present simple, here we also put 'am',
'is', or 'are' before the subject to make a 'yes / no' question:

Yes / No Questions Answer

am I eating chocolate ? Yes, you are/ No, you aren’t

are you studying now ? Yes, I am/ No, I am not (I’m not)

is he working ? Yes, he is/ No, he is not (isn’t)

is she doing her homework ? Yes, she is/ No, she is not (isn’t)

is it raining ? Yes, it is/ No, it is not

are we meeting at six ? Yes, you are/ No, you are not (aren’t)

are they coming ? Yes, they are/ No, they are not (aren’t)
 For 'wh' questions, just put the question word at the front:

Wh Questions
Why am I eating chocolate ?
What are you studying now ?
When is he working ?
What is she doing ?
Why is it raining ?
Who are we meeting ?
How are they travelling ?