The simple present tense belongs to a group of present tenses in English and serves to depict routines, stable conditions, universal facts, and predetermined plans. Crafting the simple present tense is straightforward: employ the base verb form (I take, you take, we take, they take), while the third person singular adds an -s at the conclusion (he takes, she takes).
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The simple present tense is used:
- To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city (general truth) - To give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left. - To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Your exam starts at 09.00 - To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
He’ll give it to you when you come next Saturday.
Examples
- For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly. - For repeated actions or events
We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer. - For general truths
Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian. - For instructions or directions
Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford. - For fixed arrangements
His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March - With future constructions
She’ll see you before she leaves.
We’ll give it to her when she arrives.
Forming the simple present tense: to think
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| I think | Do I think? | I do not think |
| You think | Do you think? | You do not think |
| He thinks | Does he think? | He does not think |
| She thinks | Does she think? | She does not think |
| It thinks | Does it think? | It does not think |
| We think | Do we think? | We do not think. |
| They think | Do they think? | They do not think. |
Notes on the simple present, third person singular
- In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks. - Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary ‘DO’) + the infinitive of the verb.
He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla. - Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
fly –> flies, cry –> cries
Exception: if there is a vowel before the –y:
play –> plays, pray –> prays - Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes
Examples
- He goes to school every morning.
- She understands English.
- It mixes the sand and the water.
- He tries very hard.
- She enjoys playing the piano.
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I am Nilay, an experienced English Language Assessment Director at the International English Test, where I have been working full-time since February 2020. I specialize in helping people worldwide validate their English proficiency through comprehensive assessments and certifications.
Before joining the International English Test, I worked as a self-employed English Language Assessment Consultant from January 2015 to December 2019. During this time, I assisted companies and individuals in improving their language skills, helping them achieve their academic and professional goals.
I hold a degree in Engineering and have also studied at Shafston International College in Australia. My educational background has equipped me with the tools to make a meaningful impact in the field of English language learning. Additionally, I enjoy sharing my expertise through articles that explore effective teaching methods and language assessment strategies, contributing to the International English Test and the broader assessment community.
