Present Simple

The present simple is one of the most common tenses in English. We use it to talk about habits and routines, permanent situations, and facts that are always true. Think of it as the tense for things that happen regularly or are generally the case — not just right now.

• • Add -s or -es to the verb with he, she, and it: work → works, watch → watches, go → goes.
• • Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -es: study → studies, carry → carries.
• • In negatives and questions, the main verb stays in its base form: She doesn't work (not 'doesn't works').
• • Short forms: do not → don't, does not → doesn't.

1. 1

   Habits and routines — things you do regularly.

   "I go to the gym three times a week." / "She checks her email every morning."

2. 2

   Permanent states — situations that are generally true over a long period.

   "He lives in Berlin." / "They work for an international company."

3. 3

   General truths and scientific facts.

   "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius." / "The sun rises in the east."

4. 4

   Scheduled future events — timetables and fixed plans.

   "The train leaves at 9:15." / "The conference starts on Monday."

5. 5

   With frequency adverbs: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never.

   "I always have coffee in the morning." / "She never arrives late."

• Use the base verb with I, you, we, they. Add -s or -es with he, she, it.
• Negative: don't / doesn't + base verb.
• Question: Do / Does + subject + base verb?
• Use for habits, routines, facts, permanent states, and timetables.
• Signal words: always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day, on Mondays.
• Stative verbs (know, want, like, believe) are usually only used in the present simple, not continuous.

Two colleagues chatting over coffee on a Monday morning.