Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

1.7: Simple Present Tense

  • Page ID
    108057
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Simple Present Tense Formation

    Affirmative Form: Simple Present Tense, General Truth

    I
    You               go                all of the time.
    We               come            every morning.
    They             study            on weekdays.
    -----------------------
    He                goes              all of the time.
    She              comes            every morning.
    It                 studies          on weekdays.

     

    We come to class from Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 10:50.
    My students do their homework either in the afternoon or in the evening.
    My wife washes clothes every Saturday afternoon.
    It rains a lot in Seattle every spring.
    The sun shines a lot in the summer.
    Young boys like to run around and make a lot of noise all of the time.

    Negative Form:  Simple Present Tense, General Truth

    I                don’t
    You            don’t               go.
    We             don’t               come.
    They          don’t               study.
    -------------------------
    He              doesn’t          go.
    She            doesn’t            come.           Do not put an “s” on the verb in the negative.
    It               doesn’t           study.

    My sons don’t come home during the week.
    It doesn’t rain a lot in summer.
    I don’t like to drive on I-5.
    My sister doesn’t speak French.
    Boys don’t often sit down quietly when they are young.
    My neighbor doesn’t clean his yard at all.
    Girls don’t usually cause as much trouble as boys when they are young.
    Flying is a plane doesn’t make me sick.

    Interrogative (Question) Form: Simple Present Tense, General Truth

               I

    Do      you       go

               we       come     ?

               they     study

    -------------------------

                 he       go

    Does      she      come     ?

                 it         study

    Do girls like to go shopping with friends?
    Does it rain a lot in Seattle during the spring?
    Do teachers have to correct a lot of homework papers?
    Does this class begin at 8:00 AM?
    Does grammar help students to write better in English?
    Do most men like sports?

    Questions with Affirmative and Negative Answers

    Do cars cost a lot of money to run and take care of?

    Yes, cars cost a lot of money to run and take care of.
    No, cars don’t cost a lot of money to run and take care of.

     

    Does water help plants in a garden to grow?

    Yes, water helps plants in a garden to grow.
    No, water doesn’t help plants in a garden to grow.

     

    Do students study at school every day?

    Yes, students study at school every day.
    No, students don’t study at school every day.

     

    Does the moon appear in the evening?

    Yes, the moon appears in the evening.
    No, the moon doesn’t appear in the evening.

     

    Forming the Negative with Present Time Verbs

    The Present Tense Versus the Present Continuous Tense

    Present Tense

    I                                    go 
    You     don’t                    eat
    We                                 shop
    They                               write
                                                                       General Truth: 
                                                                            All of the time, but
          NOT NOW

    He                                  go                                     
    She     doesn’t               eat
    It                                   shop             No “s” on the verb.
                                         write

                                Present Continuous Tense

    I am not                      going

    He
    She     is not (isn’t)      eating
    It                                                                Right Now
                                        shopping

    We
    You are not (aren’t) writing
    They

    I don’t speak Chinese.
    I am not speaking Chinese right now.

    He doesn’t go to movies very often.
    He isn’t going to a movie right now.

    We don’t play with guns.
    We aren’t playing with guns now.

    She doesn’t help her mother in the house.
    She isn’t helping her mother in the house this morning.

    They don’t do their homework on Friday nights.
    They aren’t doing their homework right now.

    Exercise 36:  Fill in the blanks with simple present tense verbs, please.

    1.  Most boys -------------------- (want) to play sports.

    2.  My son -------------------- (like) to play music.

    3.  A girl usually -------------------- (help) to do housework.

    4.  My elder son -------------------- (communicate) with his friends in America by Facebook.

    5.  Both of my sons -------------------- (love) to eat my wife’s food.

    6.  Talking on the phone -------------------- (bother) me when I am working.

    7.  Smoking cigarettes -------------------- (make) a person stink.

    8.  Old people -------------------- (walk) slowly down the street.

    9.  My dog -------------------- (enjoy) going for walks with my wife.

    10.  My wife -------------------- (wash) the kitchen floor every day.

    11.  All of you -------------------- (want) to learn English quickly.

    12.  My wife -------------------- (do) the shopping for fruit and vegetables.

    13.  A mechanic -------------------- (repair) cars for a living.

    14.  Students -------------------- (have) to learn irregular verbs.

    15.  My cat -------------------- (sleep) in the basement.

    16.  Some friends of mine --------------------- (go) to restaurants every night.

    17.  Not studying ------------------- (hurt) students’ grades.

    18.  Cold beer -------------------- (taste) good on a hot day.

    19.  My younger son --------------------- (write) music at work and at home.

    20.  Old men -------------------- (enjoy) the company of other old men.

    21.   A young man -------------------- (live) across the street from me.

    22.  I usually -------------------- (listen to) music in my office.

    Exercise 37:  Answer the following questions, please.

    1.  Where do you come from?

     

    2.  Do you have any brothers and sisters?

     

    3.  How many days a week does your teacher come to this college?

     

    4.  Do you speak English at home?

     

    5.  Does it rain a lot in Seattle?

     

    6.  Does your teacher have a long beard?

     

    7.  What time do you go to bed?

     

    8.  Do you want to graduate from SSC?

     

    9.  Does your mother speak English well?

     

    10.  How long does it take for you to get to college each morning?

     

    11.  Do dogs and cats usually like each other?

     

    12.  Does your teacher dress nicely for class every day?

     

    13.  When does winter vacation start?

     

    14.  Does your father have a moustache?

     

    15.  When does the weekend for this class start?

     

    Exercise 38:  Change the following sentences to the negative, please.  Remember to use either “don’t” or “doesn’t” and the base form of the verb.

     

    Examples:

    The boys come to class on time. -----------The boys don’t come to class on time.

    The girl needs to buy a new book. -------- The girl doesn’t need to buy a new book.

    1.     My sister tries to take care of my brother.

     

    2.     The dog eats on the porch at my house.

     

    3.     I write all of my exercises for my students.

     

    4.     A mechanic usually fixes my car.

     

    5.     Some students take their children to school.

     

    6.     It rains a lot in Seattle in spring.

     

    7.     I make my sons do their homework in the evening.

     

    8.     Alex reaches for his back pack before he leaves the house.

     

    9.     My car has a broken window.

     

    10.  André carries his books to school in his back pack.

     

    11.  Students like to write sentences in class.

     

    12.  You have to learn a lot of English this quarter.

     

    13.   Your teacher likes to give homework.

    Exercise 39:  Answer the following questions with long answers, please.  Do this exercise on a separate sheet of paper, please.

    1.  Does it rain in Seattle every day?

     

    2.  Do children attend this class?

     

    3.  Do you speak Chinese?

     

    4.  Do I wear jeans to class?

     

    5.  Do children go to school?

     

    6.  Does the president of the United States live in Seattle?

     

    7.  Does it cost very much to attend this class?

     

    8.  Do I teach English in the evening?

     

    9.  Do we come to school on Saturday?

     

    10.  Do some boys play the piano?

     

    11.  Do young boys make a lot of noise?

     

    12.  Does your teacher give you a lot of homework?

     

    13.  Do women have babies?

     

    14.  Do men have babies?

     

    15.  Does your bedroom have a television in it?

     

    16.  Do we study in room 210?

     

    17.  Do you spend money every week?

     

    18.  Do elephants eat a lot of food?

     

    19.  Does my wife live in Seattle?

     

    20.  Do my sons attend school every day?

     

    21.  Do you cook dinner every night?

     

    22.  Does the sun shine at night?

    Exercise 40:  Answer the following questions about a typical evening at home, please.

    1.  About what time do you get home from work or school every day?

     

    2.  When do you read the newspaper?

     

    3.  Where do you sit when you are at home?

     

    4.  Who sometimes takes a walk with you?

     

    5.  Where do you usually take a walk?

     

    6.  When do you listen to the radio?

     

    7.  What time do you eat dinner?

     

    8.  Whom do you eat dinner with?

     

    9.  What do you do after you eat dinner?

     

    10.  When do you watch television?

     

    11.  Where do you sit when you watch television?

     

    12.  Whom do you watch television with?

     

    13.  At what time do you usually go to bed?

     

    14.  How many hours of sleep do you usually get?

     

    15.  What time do you usually get up in the morning?

     

    Exercise 41:  Change the following sentences to simple yes/no questions, please.

    1. The woman has beautiful brown eyes.

     

    2. She speaks to her friends on the bus.

     

    3. I drink coffee in the morning.

     

    4. My sons make a lot of noise at my house.

     

    5. Some students always do their homework on time.

     

    6. I enjoy teaching English as a second language.

     

    7. The sun shines every day in the summer.

     

    8. A bus driver has a lot of responsibility.

     

    9. We use the computer lab on Friday mornings.

     

    10. Good students try hard in school.

     

    11. A postman delivers the mail every day.

     

    12. Children like to play computer games.

     

    13. Learning to speak English takes a lot of time.

     

    14. Girls wear prettier clothes than boys.

     

    15. My sister buys toys for her grandchildren.

     

    Exercise 42:  Change the following sentences to simple yes/no questions, please.

    1. My dog barks for food every night.

     

    2. Cats sleep all day long.

     

    3. A job application takes a long time to fill out.

     

    4. This exercise has 25 sentences.

     

    5. Gas for my car costs $3.67 per gallon.

     

    6.  My son has two violins.

     

    7.  You are making questions right now.

     

    8.  You often make questions in this class.

     

    9.  Smoking causes lung cancer.

     

    10.  I always grow a lot of vegetables in my garden.

     

    11.  The days get very short and the nights very long in December.

     

    12.  I am writing this exercise in my office.

     

    13.  The teacher often writes exercises in my office.

     

    14.  Most women have to do a lot of work at home.

     

    15.  A new student comes to class late every morning.

     

    Exercise 43:  Change the following sentences to Yes/No questions and then answer them in the negative, please.  You need to write two sentences.

    1.  The woman has nine big dogs in her back yard.

     

    2.   She talks to her friends on the phone.

     

    3.  The boy draws pictures in his notebook.

     

    4.  My neighbors make a lot of noise during the weekend.

     

    5.  Some students always use pens to do their homework.

     

    6.  I enjoy working in my garden in the spring time.

     

    7.  The moon shines every night in the summer.

     

    8.  A cab driver has a lot of customers.

     

    9.  We use our ears to listen to people speak.

     

    10.  My students try hard in school.

     

    11. A doctor sees patients in hospitals.

     

    Present Continuous Tense and Simple Present Tense Exercise

    Exercise 44:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb, please.  Be careful.

    1.  We sometimes --------------- (spend) too much money when we --------------- (go) shopping with our friends.

    2.  Look!  I see a man, and he --------------- (walk) with three dogs.

    3.  As I write this, my wife ---------------- (sleep) in our bedroom.

    4.  I always --------------- (pay) my bills at the end of the month.

    5.  My sons --------------- (not do) their homework right now because they --------------- (watch) television in the living room.

    6.  My dog --------------- (bark) as I write this assignment.  I wonder what --------------- (bother) her at this time of night.

    7.  Every morning right after I --------------- (wake up), I --------------- (have) two cups of coffee and something to eat.

    8.  My sister --------------- (not live) with me anymore because she --------------- (live) in R. I.

    9.  While I --------------- (type) this exercise, my sons --------------- (sleep) downstairs.

    10.  We often --------------- (stay up) late at night in my house.

    11.  You --------------- (think) about the answers to these questions.

    12.  People --------------- (think) a lot about their relatives who have died.

    13.  Some of my students --------------- (be) homesick and --------------- (want) to go home to see their families, but they can't.

    14.  Although my car --------------- (run) well, my wife --------------- (want) me to buy a newer one, so I am probably going to get an older one.

    15.  Studying three languages at one time --------------- (take) a lot of effort and --------------- (require) a special kind of student.

    16.  Children -------------------- (love) their parents.

    17. I am sitting in this chair, and my dog ------------------------- (wag) its tail.

    WH Question Formation Exercise:  Simple Present Tense and
    the Present Continuous Tense 

    Exercise 45:  Change the following sentences to WH questions with the word provided, please. 

    1. The woman has long, blond hair.

    What color hair

    2. She speaks to her friends on the bus.

    Who(m)

    3. I drink two cups of coffee in the morning.

    How many

    4. My sons are making quite a bit of noise at my house.

    How much

    5. John always uses his brother’s car on Thursday.

    Whose

    6. I enjoy teaching English as a second language.

    What

    7. The sun shines every day in the summer.

    When

    8. A bus driver has a lot of responsibility.

    How much

    9. We are using the new computer lab now.

    Which

    10. Good students try hard in school.

    How

    11. A postman delivers the mail every day.

    What

    12. My children like to play computer games on their friend’s computer.

    Whose

    13. Learning to speak English takes a lot of time.

    How much

    14. My son wears his old clothes when he works in my garden.

    Which

    15. My sister is buying toys for her grandchildren at Toys ‘R Us right now.

    Whose

    16. My dog barks for food every night.

    When

    17. Cats get about 15 hours of sleep a day.

    How much

    18. A job application takes a long time for students to fill out.

    Who(m)

    19. This exercise has 21 sentences.

    How many

    20. Gas for my car costs $1.49 per gallon.

    How much

    21. I speak to my wife’s brother on the phone once in a while.

    Whose

    Making Information Question (WH Questions) with the Subjects of Sentences

    When making WH questions with the subjects of sentences, only replace the subject of the sentences.  DO NOT change the word order.  Also, when the subject is who or what, the verb is always in the S From.  The verb is in the S Form because the “question” is about the subject and the answer is unknown in normal conversation.  For example, if there is a knock at your door, do you know how many people are outside your door?  No, you don’t, so you say, “Who is it”?  You say “it” because you don’t know who is there.  You don’t know if it is a man or a woman, or five men, or three little girls, etc.

    Examples:

    The man buys groceries for his family at Safeway.
    Who buys groceries at Safeway for his family?

    The dogs eat on the back porch.
    What eats on the porch?

    The men play baseball in the park.
    Who plays baseball in the park?

    Many flowers grow in my garden.
    What grows in my garden?

    However, if the subject contains within it a WH Question word and a plural noun, then the Base Form of the verb is used.

    Four boys sleep in the same room. 
    How many boys sleep in the same room?

    A lot of cats live in that house.
    How many cats live in that house?

    The white blouses cost a lot of money.
    Which blouses cost a lot of money?

    Bonnie’s daughters talk a lot.
    Whose daughters talk a lot?

    Therefore:

    New cars cost a lot of money.
    What costs a lot of money?

    Ten new cars cost a lot of money.
    How many new cars cost a lot of money?

    Exercise 46:  Make WH questions with the words following the sentences, please.

    1.  The boys like to ride horses in the afternoon.

    Who

    When

    2.  My friend swims in the ocean with his sons.

    Who

    Whom

    3.  The young boy eats a lot of ice cream every afternoon.

    How much

    What

    4.  I give presents to my sons’ teachers every year.

    Who

    Whose

    5.  Some people buy expensive cars.

    Who

    What

    6.  Thirteen boys play football every afternoon.

    How many

    What

    When

    Exercise 47:  Make questions with the Question Words given for the Subjects of the sentences, please.

    1.  The man buys gas for his car once a week.

    Who

    2.  My dog sleeps in the kitchen at our house.

    What

    3.  The radio gives the news every hour.

    What

    4.  The book costs $45.00 at the bookstore.

    What

    5.  The man and the woman go to restaurants twice a week.

    Who

    6.  Driving at night makes me nervous.

    What

    7.  Seventy-five people eat in the food court at noon.

    Who

    8.  Boys get into trouble more often than girls.

    Who

    9.  My chickens lay eggs every day.

    What

    10.  Alex and Andre sometimes argue with their mother.

    Who


    This page titled 1.7: Simple Present Tense is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Don Bissonnette.

    • Was this article helpful?