This article will consider the simple present tense in English - Present Simple. In grammar, this tense is used most often. To better understand and consolidate knowledge, the article will provide several example sentences.
Present Simple - what time is it?
For learners of English and its grammar, tenses is one of the most difficult subjects. This is explained by the fact that in English linguistics there are 12 tenses, while in Russian there are three (present, past and future). It depends on the duration of the action - whether it is taking place right now and continuing, or, for example, is currently happening regularly, or has already been performed.
Present Simple is real simple tense. It indicates actions that occur regularly, periodically: schedules, habits, etc. Still often in textbooks, Present Simple is called indefinite time, or Indefinite.
As a rule, when using this tense, qualifying words are often used, such as: often (often), usually (usually), never (never), rarely (seldom), always (always), everyday (every day) and others.
Using verbs in present simple tense
What should you know about verbs in Present Simple? For better assimilation, here are the basic rules for Present Simple in the form of a graphic table.
You don't need to change verbs to build sentences of the form - as indicated in the dictionary, it is written. However, it should be noted that if the third person sentence is he|she|it, then you need to add the ending -s (-es) at the end of the verb. This applies to sentences with a positive meaning - a statement.
In negative, auxiliary do and does are added before the verb after the predicate (I, you, he), and in interrogative ones - before the pronouns and the verb.
Examples of sentences with Present Simple
So, consider the sentences in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms. For each of the forms, 5 phrases will be presented. Examples of Present Simple sentences with a passive voice will also be given.
The affirmative form of the sentence in the table:
| Original | Translation |
| I wake up at 7 o'clock and read the news. | I wake up at 7 am and read the news. |
| He speaks French and Chinese. | He speaks French and Chinese. |
| They play poker every Friday after work. | They play poker every Friday afterwork. |
| It often rains in autumn and summer. | It often rains in autumn and summer. |
| Polina likes to collect different stamps. | Polina enjoys collecting various postage stamps. |
Next, consider sentences in negative form:
| Original | Translation |
| Usually I do not buy medicine for colds. | I don't usually buy cold medicine. |
| I do not know this actress. | I don't know this actress. |
| Peter does not like this weather. | Peter doesn't like this weather. |
| She can not bring this mask made of papier-mache. | She can't bring that papier-mâché mask. |
| We do not speak Estonian. | We don't speak Estonian. |
In the interrogative form of sentences, the following order of construction of sentences:
- Question word - What|Where|Why etc.+
- Do or does (3rd person) +
- Face - me, you, he, she, etc. +
- Verb - in its initial form.
Consider the examples in the table:
| Original | Translation |
| Do you like mango? | Do you like mangoes? |
| When the plane arrives in St. Petersburg? | When does the plane arrive in St. Petersburg? |
| Do you know the periodic table? | Do you know the periodic table? |
| How long do you sit on social networks every day? | How long do you spend on social media every day? |
| Does your brother like tennis? | Does your brother like tennis? |
And the following examples of sentences Present Simple Passive - in the passive voice. These include the passive / passive voice, which tells about actions on a person or object. To formulate a sentence, you must use the following wording: verb to be + predicate (verb in the 3rd degree).
| Original | Translation |
| The parcel from the online store is delivered by mail. | The parcel from the online store is delivered by mail. |
| This story is not written by Dostoevsky. | This story was not written by Dostoevsky. |
| That list is usually compiled every week | This list is usually compiled every week. |
| All baggage at the airport is checked carefully. | At the airport, all luggage is carefully checked. |
| Every summer a lot of forests are burned by fire. | Every summer many forests are burned in flames. |
Conclusion
So, from this article you can learn how to build a sentence in the present simple tense in Englishlanguage. So, actions in Present Simple are used in the case of well-known facts, or those that are regularly repeated - for example, are performed on schedule. And by the examples above, you can see how this time is used in affirmative, negative forms, in questions, as well as in the passive voice.
