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(with Examples)
The present tense predominantly describes a current event or state of being. However, somewhat
unusually, the present tense can also be used to describe past and future events (more on this
below). For example:
I am happy.
(present state of being)
(past event)
(See "Uses" for Simple Present Tense in the table below.)
The tense of a verb is determined by when the action took place. The three main tenses are:
past tense
present tense
future tense
Examples
Uses
The simple present tense is used:
I go.
present_progressive
tense
I like chocolate.
I am going.
I have gone.
present perfect
progressive
the future.
(3) To tell stories to make your
listener or reader feel more
engaged with the story.
For example:
For example:
For example:
For example:
Your score:
For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.
Negative
I think
Do I think?
I do not think
You think
Do you think?
He thinks
Does he think?
She thinks
It thinks
Does it think?
We think
Do we think?
We do not think.
They think
Do they think?
Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary
'DO') + the infinitive of the verb.
He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.
Examples
Okay, now you know how to make the present simple. But how do we use it? In fact, we use this
tense in several different situations:
(More about the difference between the present simple and the present continuous here.)
My Present Simple Video
1: First, we use the Present Simple when something is generally true:
It snows in winter.
2: We also need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent (see the
present continuous for a temporary situation - one which we think won't last long):
I am married.
3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency in
this case (also see the present continuous for new, temporary or annoying habits):
Do you smoke?
4: Four, we use the simple present to talk about what happens in books, plays, or films:
A young woman travels through Europe, where she meets different people, and finally
falls in love.
6: Strangely, we can use this tense to talk about the future. When you are discussing a timetable
or a fixed plan, you can use this tense. Usually, the timetable is fixed by an organisation, not by
us:
7: We also use it to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as
soon as' in a future sentence:
8: We need to use this simple tense with stative verbs (verbs which we don't use in continuous
tenses), in situations where we'd usually use the present continuous:
I am cold.