Simple Present
The simple present (also called present simple or present indefinite) is a verb tense which is used to show repetition, habit or
generalization. Less commonly, the simple present can be used to talk about scheduled actions in the near future and, in some
cases, actions happening now. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and simple present exercises.
Simple Present Forms
The simple present is just the base form of the verb. Questions are made with do and negative forms are made with do not.
Statement: You speak English.
Question: Do you speak English?
Negative: You do not speak English.
In the third person singular, -s or -es is added. Questions are made with does and negative forms are made with does not.
Statement: He speaks English.
Question: Does he speak English?
Negative: He does not speak English.
Complete List of Simple Present Forms
Simple Present Uses
USE 1 Repeated Actions
Use the simple present to express the idea 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 play tennis.
She does not play tennis.
Does he play tennis?
The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
The train does not leave at 9 AM.
When does the train usually leave?
She always forgets her purse.
He never forgets his wallet.
Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
Does the Sun circle the Earth?
USE 2 Facts or Generalizations
The simple present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future.
It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.
Examples:
Cats like milk.
Birds do not like milk.
Do pigs like milk?
California is in America.
California 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.
USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future
Speakers 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 train 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 party starts at 8 o'clock.
When does class begin tomorrow?
USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)
Speakers sometimes use the simple present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can
only be done with non-continuous verbs and certain mixed verbs.
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?
Simple Present Tips
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You only speak English.
Do you only speak English?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Once a week, Tom cleans the car. Active
Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. Passive
Verb Tense Exercise 1
Simple Present and Present Continuous
1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) her kids to football practice.
2. Usually, I (work) as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study) French at a language
school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.
3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) .
4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) .
5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) .
6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) because everybody (talk) so loudly.
7. Justin (write, currently) a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher
when he is finished.
8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?
Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) to a movie tonight with some friends.
9. The business cards (be, normally ) printed by a company in New York. Their prices (be)
inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good.
10. This delicious chocolate (be) made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.
Answers
1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) drives her kids to football practice.
2. Usually, I (work) work as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study) am studying French at a language school in Paris.
That is why I am in Paris.
3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) is sleeping.
4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) is raining.
5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) always rains.
6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) are saying because everybody (talk) is talking so loudly.
7. Justin (write, currently) is currently writing a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when
he is finished.
8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?
Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) am going to a movie tonight with some friends.
9. The business cards (be, normally ) are normally printed by a company in New York. Their prices (be) are inexpensive, yet
the quality of their work is quite good.
10. This delicious chocolate (be) is made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.
Present Continuous
The present continuous (also called present progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an ongoing action is
happening now, either at the moment of speech or now in a larger sense. The present continuous can also be used to show
that an action is going to take place in the near future. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present continuous
exercises.
Present Continuous Forms
The present continuous is formed using am/is/are + present participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject
and am/is/are. Negatives are made with not.
Statement: You are watching TV.
Question: Are you watching TV?
Negative: You are not watching TV.
Complete List of Present Continuous Forms
Present Continuous Uses
USE 1 Now
Use the present continuous with normal verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment. It can
also be used to show that something is not happening now.
Examples:
You are learning English now.
You are not swimming now.
Are you sleeping?
I am sitting.
I am not standing.
Is he sitting or standing?
They are reading their books.
They are not watching television.
What are you doing?
Why aren't you doing your homework?
USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now
In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, we use the present
continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at
this exact second.
Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while eating dinner in a restaurant.)
I am studying to become a doctor.
I am not studying to become a dentist.
I am reading the book Tom Sawyer.
I am not reading any books right now.
Are you working on any special projects at work?
Aren't you teaching at the university now?
USE 3 Near Future
Sometimes, speakers use the present continuous to indicate that something will or will not happen in the near future.
Examples:
I am meeting some friends after work.
I am not going to the party tonight.
Is he visiting his parents next weekend?
Isn't he coming with us tonight?
USE 4 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"
The present continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking
often happens. Notice that the meaning is like simple present, but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words "always"
or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing."
Examples:
She is always coming to class late.
He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.
I don't like them because they are always complaining.
Present Continuous Tips
REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs
It is important to remember that non-continuous verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous
meanings for mixed verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using present continuous with these verbs, you
must use simple present.
Examples:
She is loving this chocolate ice cream. Not Correct
She loves this chocolate ice cream. Correct
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You are still watching TV.
Are you still watching TV?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Right now, Tom is writing the letter. Active
Right now, the letter is being written by Tom. Passive
A Trekking Journal
November 12, 1997
Today (be) the second day of my trek around Mount Annapurna. I am exhausted and my legs
(shake) ; I just hope I am able to complete the trek. My feet (kill, really) me and my toes
(bleed) , but I (want, still) to continue.
Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn. Everything (be) so different, and I
(try) to adapt to the new way of life here. I (learn) a little bit of the language to make
communication easier; unfortunately, I (learn, not) foreign languages quickly. Although I (understand,
not) much yet, I believe that I (improve, gradually) .
I (travel, currently) with Liam, a student from Leeds University in England. He (be)
a nice guy, but impatient. He (walk, always) ahead of me and (complain) that I am too
slow. I (do) my best to keep up with him, but he is younger and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling
sorry for myself because I am getting old.
Right now, Liam (sit) with the owner of the inn. They (discuss) the differences between life
in England and life in Nepal. I (know, not) the real name of the owner, but everybody (call,
just) him Tam. Tam (speak) English very well and he (try) to teach Liam some
words in Nepali. Every time Tam (say) a new word, Liam (try) to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam
(seem, also) to have difficulty learning foreign languages. I just hope we don't get lost and have to ask for
directions.
A Trekking Journal
November 12, 1997
Today (be) is the second day of my trek around Mount Annapurna. I am exhausted and my legs (shake) are shaking ; I just
hope I am able to complete the trek. My feet (kill, really) are really killing me and my toes (bleed) are bleeding, but I (want,
still) still want to continue.
Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn. Everything (be) is so different, and I (try) am trying to adapt to
the new way of life here. I (learn) am learning a little bit of the language to make communication easier; unfortunately, I (learn,
not) don't learn foreign languages quickly. Although I (understand, not) don't understand much yet, I believe that I (improve,
gradually) am gradually improving.
I (travel, currently) am currently travelling with Liam, a student from Leeds University in England. He (be) is a nice guy, but
impatient. He (walk, always) is always walking ahead of me and (complain) complaining that I am too slow. I (do) am
doing my best to keep up with him, but he is younger and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for myself because
I am getting old.
Right now, Liam (sit) is sitting with the owner of the inn. They (discuss) are discussing the differences between life in England
and life in Nepal. I (know, not) don't know the real name of the owner, but everybody (call, just) just calls him Tam. Tam
(speak) speaks English very well and he (try) is trying to teach Liam some words in Nepali. Every time Tam (say) says a new
word, Liam (try) tries to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam (seem, also) also seems to have difficulty learning foreign languages. I
just hope we don't get lost and have to ask for directions.
Simple Past
f t g+ p
The simple past (also called past simple, past indefinite or preterite) is a verb tense which is used to show that a completed
action took place at a specific time in the past. The simple past is also frequently used to talk about past habits and
generalizations. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and simple past exercises.
Simple Past Forms
The simple past is formed using the verb + ed. In addition, there are many verbs with irregular past forms. Questions are made
with did and negative forms are made with did not.
Statement: You called Debbie.
Question: Did you call Debbie?
Negative: You did not call Debbie.
Complete List of Simple Past Forms
Simple Past Uses
USE 1 Completed Action in the Past
Use the simple past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the
speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:
I saw a movie yesterday.
I didn't see a play yesterday.
Last year, I traveled to Japan.
Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.
Did you have dinner last night?
She washed her car.
He didn't wash his car.
USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions
We use the simple past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:
I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
USE 3 Duration in the Past
The simple past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by
expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
I lived in Brazil for two years.
Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
They sat at the beach all day.
They did not stay at the party the entire time.
We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
A: How long did you wait for them?
B: We waited for one hour.
USE 4 Habits in the Past
The simple past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To
make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a
child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples:
I studied French when I was a child.
He played the violin.
He didn't play the piano.
Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
She worked at the movie theater after school.
They never went to school, they always skipped class.
USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations
The simple past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this
use of the simple past is quite similar to the expression "used to."
Examples:
She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
He didn't like tomatoes before.
Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
Simple Past Tips
IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word
"when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when class began..." These clauses are called when-clauses, and they are very
important. The examples below contain when-clauses.
Examples:
When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.
When-clauses are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in the simple past. Both of the examples
above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not important whether "when I
paid her one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence. However, the example below has a
different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one dollar.
Example:
I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You just called Debbie.
Did you just call Debbie?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Tom repaired the car. Active
The car was repaired by Tom. Passive
1. A: What (you, do) when the accident occurred?
B: I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.
2. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) to the police and
(turn) it in.
3. The doctor (say) that Tom (be) too sick to go to work and that he (need) to stay
at home for a couple of days.
4. Sebastian (arrive) at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not) there. She (study, at
the library) for her final examination in French.
5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also) television. That's all she ever
does!
6. A: I (call) you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) there. Where were you?
B: I (work) out at the fitness center.
7. When I (walk) into the busy office, the secretary (talk) on the phone with a customer, several clerks
(work, busily) at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly) methods to improve
customer service.
8. I (watch) a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends.
9. Sharon (be) in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen,
not) .
10. It's strange that you (call) because I (think, just) about you.
11. The Titanic (cross) the Atlantic when it (strike) an iceberg.
12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily) and (try) to sell their
goods to naive tourists who (hunt) for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) their donkeys through the
narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue) over the price of a leather belt. I (walk) over
to a man who (sell) fruit and (buy) a banana.
13. The firemen (rescue) the old woman who (be) trapped on the third floor of the burning building.
14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect,
actually) me to do them for her.
15. Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) there when the Berlin Wall
came down.
1. A: What (you, do) were you doing when the accident occurred?
B: I (try) was trying to change a light bulb that had burnt out.
2. After I (find) found the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) immediately went to the police and (turn) turned it in.
3. The doctor (say) said that Tom (be) was too sick to go to work and that he (need) needed to stay at home for a couple of
days.
4. Sebastian (arrive) arrived at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not) was not there. She (study, at the
library) was studying at the library for her final examination in French.
5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also) was also watching television. That's
all she ever does!
6. A: I (call) called you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) were not there. Where were you?
B: I (work) was working out at the fitness center.
7. When I (walk) walked into the busy office, the secretary (talk) was talking on the phone with a customer, several clerks
(work, busily) were busily working at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly) were quietly discussing methods to
improve customer service.
8. I (watch) was watching a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the
movie ends.
9. Sharon (be) was in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen,
not) wasn't listening.
10. It's strange that you (call) called because I (think, just) was just thinking about you.
11. The Titanic (cross) was crossing the Atlantic when it (strike) struck an iceberg.
12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily) were busily bargaining and (try) trying to sell their
goods to naive tourists who (hunt) were hunting for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) were leading their donkeys through
the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue) were arguing over the price of a leather belt. I
(walk) walked over to a man who (sell) was selling fruit and (buy) bought a banana.
13. The firemen (rescue) rescued the old woman who (be) was trapped on the third floor of the burning building.
14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) always leaves her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect, actually) actually
expected me to do them for her.
15. Samantha (live) lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) was living there when the Berlin Wall came
down.