Present Simple Tense

The present simple tense has three uses:

• Things that are happening now.
• Things that happen regularly.
• Things that don’t change.

1. Things that are happening now.
   • I am happy.
     (happy now)
2. Things that happen regularly.
   • I swim in the sea every Saturday.
     (regularly/every Saturday)
3. Things that don’t change.
   • Water boils at 100c.
     (water always boils at 100c)

The present tense is formed subject + present simple form of the verb.

• I walk to work.
  (subject/I + base form of the verb/walk)
• He lives in Liverpool.
  (subject/he + base form of the verb/lives)

The present simple form of the verb is the same as the bare infinitive form of the verb except in the third person singular. The third person singular is formed by adding -s to the bare infinitive.

• I / you / we / they – live
  (bare infinitive/live)
• He / she / it – lives
  (bare infinitive + s/lives)

The negative is formed subject + do/does + not (don’t/doesn’t) + present simple form of the verb.

• I do not walk to work.
  (subject/I + do + not + present simple/walk)
• He doesn’t live in Liverpool.
  (subject/He + does + not + present simple/live)

For yes/no questions it is formed do/does + subject + present simple form of the verb.

• Do you walk to work?
  (Do + subject/you + present simple/walk)
• Does he live in Liverpool?
  (Does + subject/he + present simple/live)

The question is formed question word + do/does + subject + present simple form of the verb.

• Why do you walk to work?
  (question word/Why + do + subject/you + present simple/walk)
• Why does he live in Liverpool?
  (question word/Why + does + subject/he + present simple/live)