Simple Present | Grammar time + interactive worksheet

 Hello there! 

Today we embark on the first trip most of us take when we start our English learning... well the second trip, first is usually to the store to buy a notebook which we'll resent the second we start filling it with verbs (shoutout to my students). Today we're learning the ropes of the simple present tense.

Now you may be thinking, "teacher Clyo, isn't this a bit too simple?". You might be right but you might also be wrong, it is a simple topic but it has so many uses that you'd be surprised as to how much of a regular everyday conversation is made of Simple Present sentences. So with that in mind, let's go back to the basics.

Simple present is a verb tense with two main uses. 

We use the simple present tense when an action is happening right now, or when it happens regularly (or unceasingly, which is why it's sometimes called present indefinite).Depending on the person, the simple present tense is formed by using the root form (or base form) or by adding -s or -es to the end.

Examples: 

I feel great! 
Karla loves cake.
I am sorry to hear you don't feel well.

The other is to talk about habitual action or occurrences.

Examples:

Karla practices the pianoforte every day.
Ms.Jackson travels during the summer.
Hamsters run all night.

Typically, when we want to describe a temporary action that is currently in progress, we use the present continous, which we'll study at a later post.

How to Form the Simple Present

In the simple present, most regular verbs use the root form, except in the third-person singular (which ends in -s).

NOUN	VERB	COMPLEMENT
I	WRITE	BOOKS
YOU	WRITE	BOOKS
HE	WRITES	BOOKS
SHE	WRITES	BOOKS
IT	WRITES	BOOKS
WE	WRITE	BOOKS
YOU	WRITE	BOOKS
THEY	WRITE	BOOKS

Remember that 'YOU' has both a singular and plural form.

For a few verbs, the third-person singular ends with -es instead of -s. Typically, these are verbs whose root form ends in o, ch, sh, th, ss, gh, or z.

The verb to be is irregular:

NOUN	VERB
I	AM
YOU	YOU
HE	IS
SHE	IS
IT	IS
WE	ARE
YOU	ARE
THEY	ARE

How To Make the Simple Present Negative

The formula for making a simple present verb negative is do/does + not + [root form of verb]. You can also use the contraction don’t or doesn’t instead of do not or does not.

NOUN	DO/DOES	VERB	COMPLEMENT
I	DON’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD
YOU	DON’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD
HE	DOESN’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD
SHE	DOESN’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD
IT	DOESN’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD
WE	DON’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD
YOU	DON’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD
THEY	DON’T	EAT	SPICY FOOD

How To Ask a Question

The formula for asking a question in the simple present is do/does + [subject] + [root form of verb].

DO/DOES	NOUN	VERB	COMPLEMENT
DO	I	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES
DO	YOU	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES
DOES	HE	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES
DOES	SHE	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES
DOES	IT	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES
DO	WE	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES
DO	YOU	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES
DO	THEY	PLAY	VIDEOGAMES

Our list of verbs from previous posts will be useful when you're practicing. And now for the practical part of this exercise, use this worksheet to test your knowledge (or test others). This worksheet grades itself.

Have fun with these exercises and I'll see you on next tip.

See you later, Teacher Clyo