English Grammar Rules: Simple Present Tense

We use the present tense: 1. For repeated or regular actions in the present time period.

Verb Conjugation & Spelling

We form the present tense using the base form of the infinitive (without the TO). In general, in the third person we add 'S' in the third person.
Subject I / you / we / they Verb The Rest of the sentence English at home English at home

I take the train to the office. The train to Berlin leaves every hour. John sleeps eight hours every night during the week.

2. For facts.

speak / learn speaks / he / she / it learns

The President of The USA lives in The White House. A dog has four legs. We come from Switzerland.

The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb: 1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person.

3. For habits.

I get up early every day. Carol brushes her teeth twice a day. They travel to their country house every weekend.

4. For things that are always / generally true.

go goes catch catches wash washes kiss kisses fix fixes buzz buzzes

It rains a lot in winter. The Queen of England lives in Buckingham Palace. They speak English at work.

2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.

marry marries study studies carry carries worry worries

NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.

Examples of Negative Sentences with Don't and Doesn't:

play plays enjoy enjoys say says

Negative Sentences in the Simple Present Tense

Don't = Do not Doesn't = Does not I don't like meat = I do not like meat. There is no difference in meaning though we normally use contractions in spoken English.

You don't speak Arabic. John doesn't speak Italian. We don't have time for a rest. It doesn't move. They don't want to go to the party. She doesn't like fish.

Questions in the Simple Present Tense

The Rest of the sentence

Do/Does Subject Do I / you / we / they he / she / it

Verb*

Word Order of Negative Sentences

The following is the word order to construct a basic negative sentence in English in the Present Tense using Don't or Doesn't.

Does

have / need a new bike? want etc.

Examples of Questions with Do and Does:

Subjec t I / you / we / they he / she / it

The Rest don't/doesn't Verb* of the sentence

Do you need a dictionary? Does Mary need a dictionary? Do we have a meeting now? Does it rain a lot in winter? Do they want to go to the party? Does he like pizza?

don't doesn't

have / buy cereal for eat / breakfast like etc.

Short Answers with Do and Does

In questions that use do/does it is possible to give short answers to direct questions as follows:
Sample Questions Do you like chocolate? Do I need a pencil? Do you both like chocolate? Do they like chocolate? Does he like chocolate? Does she like chocolate? Does it have four wheels? Short Short Answer Answer (Affirmative) (Negative) Yes, I do. Yes, you do. Yes, we do. Yes, they do. No, I don't. No, you don't. No, we don't.

Irregular Verbs in English

Verb arise babysit be beat become bend begin bet bind bite bleed blow break breed bring broadcast build buy catch choose come cost cut deal dig do draw drink drive eat fall feed feel Past Simple Past Participle arose babysat was / were beat became bent began bet bound bit bled blew broke bred brought broadcast built bought caught chose came cost cut dealt dug did drew drank drove ate fell fed felt arisen babysat been beaten become bent begun bet bound bitten bled blown broken bred brought broadcast built bought caught chosen come cost cut dealt dug done drawn drunk driven eaten fallen fed felt

No, they don't. No, he Yes, he does. doesn't. Yes, she does. No, she doesn't. No, it doesn't.

Yes, it does.

However, if a question word such as who, when, where, why, which or how is used in the question, you can not use the short answers above to respond to the question.

fight find fly forbid forget forgive freeze get give go grow hang* have hear hide hit hold hurt keep know lay lead leave lend let lie ** light lose make mean meet pay put quit read *** ride

fought found flew forbade forgot forgave froze got gave went grew hung had heard hid hit held hurt kept knew laid led left lent let lay lit lost made meant met paid put quit read rode

fought found flown forbidden forgotten forgiven frozen gotten given gone grown hung had heard hidden hit held hurt kept known lain led left lent let lain lit lost made meant met paid put quit read ridden

ring rise run say see sell send set shake shine shoot show shut sing sink sit sleep slide speak spend spin spread stand steal stick sting strike swear sweep swim swing take teach tear tell think

rang rose ran said saw sold sent set shook shone shot showed shut sang sank sat slept slid spoke spent spun spread stood stole stuck stung struck swore swept swam swung took taught tore told thought

rung risen run said seen sold sent set shaken shone shot shown shut sung sunk sat slept slid spoken spent spun spread stood stolen stuck stung struck sworn swept swum swung taken taught torn told thought

throw understand wake wear win withdraw write

threw understood woke wore won withdrew wrote

thrown understood woken worn won withdrawn written

The following verbs can be regular or irregular:

Verb Past Simple burned OR burnt dreamed OR dream dreamt learned OR learn learnt smelled OR smell smelt burn Past Participle burned OR burnt dreamed OR dreamt learned OR learnt smelled OR smelt

bet broadcast cut hit hurt let put quit read set shut spread

bet broadcast cut hit hurt let put quit read set shut spread

bet broadcast cut hit hurt let put quit read set shut spread

The second form (burnt, dreamt etc.) is more common in British English.

Verbs that have the same form in Present, Past and Past Participle form:
Verb Past Simple Past Participle

Prepositions in English:

About Above Across

After Against Along Alongside Around At Before Behind Below Beneath Beside Besides Between Beyond By Despite Down During Except For From In Inside Into Near Of Off On Onto Opposite Out Outside Past Round Since Through Throughout To Towards Under Underneath Until Up

Upon With Within Without