English Grammar for proficiency: The Simple Present Tense

The Simple Present Tense is usually used to talk about regular actions or general truths.

Affirmative	I/You/We/They + V1
	He/She/It + V1 + -s
Negative	I/You/We/They + do + not + V1
	He/She/It + does + not + V1
Question	Do + I/You/We/They + V1
	Does + He/She/It + V1

	Example	Short Form
+	I love you.	––
	He sings well.	––
−	I do not love you.	I don't love you.
	He does not sing.	He doesn't sing.
+?	Do you love me?	––
	Does he sing?	––
-?	Do you not love me?	Don't you love me?
	Does she not sing?	Doesn't she sing?

	Time Expressions
	always, usually, generally, often, sometimes, occasionally, never, every day/week/year etc., once a day, twice a week, three times a year, on Sundays, on Saturday nights, on Monday mornings, on weekdays/weekends, at night/noon, in the morning/afternoon/evening

Usage

Habit

It's used when we talk about habits, daily routines, repeated actions or repeated events, usually with adverbs of frequency such as 'always, sometimes, usually, often, never'.

・ I always get up early.

・ He likes playing chess. 

・ John drinks tea every day. 

・ We go swimming twice a week.

・ How often do you go running?

・ They watch TV in the evening.

General Truth

It is used to indicate a permanent situation or a general truth.

・My name is Maria. 

・He works in Germany. 

・Where do you live? 

・It doesn't rain much here.

・Tom knows three languages. 

Scientific Fact

It is used to indicate situations that are accepted as true by everyone, such as laws of nature or scientific facts.

・The sun sets in the west. 

・Every atom has a nucleus.

・The Earth orbits around the Sun.

・Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

・The human body is made up of cells.

Now

It is used with 'stative verbs' to express a current feeling or thought.

・I feel dizzy. 

・You look awful.

・I want to drink water. 

・I don't understand you. 

Future

It is used to indicate that something is scheduled to happen in the future, usually with adverbs of time such as 'tomorrow, next week, this evening'.

・The school starts next week. 

・The concert starts at 7 p.m. tonight.

・The plane arrives at 09.45 tomorrow. 

Clause

It is used as a clause with conjunctions such as 'if, when, while, after, before, unless'.

・If it rains, we'll get wet.

・I will visit my uncle before I leave. 

・We listen to music while we work.

・I'll give something to him when I see him. 

Instruction

It is used in sentences giving orders, instructions or directions.

・Call the police.

・You two help me.

・You turn the key to start the car.

・Go straight for one mile and then turn right.

Narrative

It is used to narrate a story, tale, book, movie, or match.

・The prince goes to the forest and... 

・The player kicks the ball and scores a goal.

Quotation

It is used to introduce the quotation or paraphrase someone's words.

・The Bible says do everything in love.

・The report warns that a global water crisis is likely.

News 

It is used instead of the past tense in news headlines.

・Five soldiers die in Iraq. 

・Four people injure in the collision. 

There/Here

It is used in phrases 'there goes.., here comes...'.

・Here comes your daughter.

・There goes the bus we were supposed to catch.