Simple Present
Forms  and  Uses  
Most  Verbs  
Most  verbs  conjugate  like  the  verb  "read"  below.    
Notice  how  you  add  an  "s"  to  3rd-­‐person  singular  forms.    
Question  form  and  Negative  form  use  the  auxiliary  verb  Do  [Does  for  3rd  person  singular]  
Mind  the  letter  that  stands  before  -­‐y.  Vowel  before  -­‐y:  Add  -­‐s.  I  play  →  he  plays    
Consonant  before  -­‐y:  Change  -­‐y  to  -­‐i.  Then  add  -­‐es.  I  fly  →  he  flies  

 Positive   Negative   Question   Negative  Question  

I  read.   I  do  not  read.   Do  I  read?   Don’t  I  read?  

You  read.   You  do  not  read.   Do  you  read?   Don’t  you  read?  
We  read.   We  do  not  read.   Do  we  read?   Don’t  we  read?  
They  read.   They  do  not  read.   Do  they  read?   Don’t  they  read?  
He  reads.   He  does  not  read.   Does  he  read?   Doesn’t  he  read?  
She  reads.   She  does  not  read.   Does  she  read?   Doesn’t  she  read?  
It  reads.   It  does  not  read.   Does  it  read?   Doesn’t  it  read?  

Instead  of  "s"  we  add  an  "es"  to  verbs  ending  in  -­‐o  preceded  by  a  consonant  or  to  positive  
3rd-­‐person  forms  of  verbs  ending  with  the  following  sounds:  s,  z,  sh,  ch,  j  or  zs.  

Positive   Negative   Question   Negative  Question  

I  rush.   I  do  not  rush.   Do  I  rush?   Don’t  I  rush?  

You  rush.   You  do  not  rush.   Do  you  rush?   Don’t  you  rush?  
We  rush.   We  do  not  rush.   Do  we  rush?   Don’t  we  rush?  
They  rush.   They  do  not  rush.   Do  they  rush?   Don’t  they  rush?  
He  rushes.   He  does  not  rush.   Does  he  rush?   Doesn’t  he  rush?  
She  rushes.   She  does  not  rush.   Does  she  rush?   Doesn’t  she  rush?  
It  rushes.     It  does  not  rush.   Does  it  rush?   Doesn’t  it  rush?  

 
  

 
To  Have  
The  verb  "have"  is  irregular  in  positive  3rd-­‐person  form  it  turns  into  “Has“.  Question  form  
and  Negative  form  use  the  auxiliary  verb  do  [Does  for  3rd  person  singular]  

Positive   Negative   Question   Negative  Question  

I  have.   I  do  not  have.   Do  I  have?   Don’t  I  have?  

You  have.   You  do  not  have.   Do  you  have?   Don’t  you  have?  
We  have.   We  do  not  have.   Do  we  have?   Don’t  we  have?  
They  have.   They  do  not  have.   Do  they  have?   Don’t  they  have?  
He  has.   He  does  not  have.   Does  he  have?   Doesn’t  he  have?  
She  has.   She  does  not  have.   Does  she  have?   Doesn’t  she  have?  
It  has.   It  does  not  have.   Does  it  have?   Doesn’t  it  have?  

To  Be  
The  verb  "be"  is  the  most  irregular  verb  in  the  English  language.  It  alters  from  it’s  infinitive  
form  [Be]  and  it  does  not  use  auxiliary  verb  in  any  form.  

Positive   Negative   Question   Negative  Question  

I  am.   I  am  not.   Am  I?   Am  I  not?  

You  are.   You  are  not.   Are  you?   Aren’t  you?  
We  are.   We  are  not.   Are  we?   Aren’t  we?  
They  are.   They  are  not.   Are  they?   Aren’t  they?  
He  is.   He  is  not.   Is  he?   Isn’t  he?  
She  is.   She  is  not.   Is  she?   Isn’t  she?  
It  is.   It  is  not.   Is  it?   Isn’t  it?  

 
  

Simple Present
  FORM  
Pronoun  +  Verb    
 (3rd  person  singular  [he,  she,  it]  Verb  +  s).    
Question  form  and  Negative  form  use  the  auxiliary  verb  Do.  
[Does  for  3rd  person  singular].  
 

 
 
Examples:    
You  fly  airplanes.  
Does  He  speak  English?  
I  don’t  have  the  manual.  
She  does  the  checklist.  
Do  you  work  for  Tam?  
Don’t  you  eat  meat?  
 

 
1.  Repeated  Actions  
Use  the  Simple  Present  to  explain  that  an  action  is  repeated  or  usual.  The  action  can  be:  a  habit,  a  
hobby,  a  daily  event,  a  scheduled  event  or  something  that  often  happens.  It  can  also  be  something  
a  person  often  forgets  or  usually  does  not  do.  
 
Examples:    
I  go  to  the  airport.  
She  does  not  check  the  aircraft.  
Does  he  fly  airplanes?  
The  plane  departs  every  morning  at  8  AM.  
The  shuttle  does  not  arrive  at  9  AM.  
When  does  the  plane  usually  depart?  
He  never  forgets  the  checklist.  
I  go  to  the  hangar.  
I  sleep  on  my  layovers.  
 
 
 

 
  

2.  Facts  or  Generalizations  

The  Simple  Present  can  also  indicate  that  you  believe  that  a  fact  was  true  before,  is  true  now,  and  
will  be  true  in  the  future.  It  is  not  important  if  the  fact  is  correct,  only  that  the  person  who  is  talking  
about  it  believes  it  is.  It  is  also  used  to  make  generalizations  about  people  or  things.  
 
Examples:    
Planes  are  expensive.  
Flight  lessons  do  not  cost  a  lot  of  money.  
Do  pilots  sleep  well?  
California  is  in  America.  
Florida  is  not  in  the  United  Kingdom.  
Windows  are  made  of  glass.  
Windows  are  not  made  of  wood.  
New  York  is  a  small  city.  [IT  IS  NOT  IMPORTANT  THAT  THIS  FACT  IS  UNTRUE.]  
 
 
3.  Scheduled  Events  in  the  Near  Future  
You  can,  occasionally,  use  Simple  Present  to  talk  about  scheduled  events  in  the  near  future.  This  is  
most  commonly  done  when  talking  about  public  transportation,  but  it  can  be  used  with  other  
scheduled  events  as  well.  
 
Examples:    
The  plane  leaves  tonight  at  6  PM.  
The  bus  does  not  arrive  at  11  AM,  it  arrives  at  11  PM.  
When  do  we  board  the  plane?  
The  boarding  starts  at  8  o'clock.  
My  briefing  begins  after  lunch  
 
 
4.  Now  (Non-­‐Continuous  Verbs)  
You  can  sometimes  use  the  Simple  Present  to  express  the  idea  that  an  action  is  happening  -­‐  or  is  
not  happening  –  now,  at  this  very  moment.  This  can  only  be  done  with  Non-­‐Continuous  Verbs  and  
certain  Mixed  Verbs.  
 
Non-­‐Continuous  -­‐  Abstract  Verbs  
to  be,  to  want,  to  cost,  to  seem,  to  need,  to  care,  to  contain,  to  owe,  to  exist...  
 
Non-­‐Continuous  -­‐  Possession  Verbs  
to  possess,  to  own,  to  belong...  
 
Examples:    
I  am  here  now.  
She  is  not  here  now.  
He  needs  help  right  now.  

 
  

He  does  not  need  help  now.  

He  has  his  passport  in  his  hand.  
Do  you  have  your  passport  with  you?  
He  owns  an  airplane  now.  
 

5.  Instructions  
When  you  give  an  instruction  or  an  order  using  the  Simple  Present  you  put  the  verb  in  the  
beginning  of  the  sentence  to  indicate  what  you  want  form  the  other  person.  The  verb  must  be  in  
the  infinitive.  
 
Examples:    
Open  the  manual.  
Do  not  leave  luggage  unattended.  
Fasten  your  seatbelt.  
Stand  in  line,  please.  
Be  a  hero.