The Simple Present Tense

By Ranjana S

The Simple Present Tense

Form-Subject+ Verb in the present+ (rest of the sentence)

e.g.

He +plays+ cricket.
We +get up+ every day at 7o'clock.
The girl+ dances+ well.

Kindly bear in mind:

In Simple Present Tense when the subject is singular, always add the letter "S" or "ES" to the verb root.

• The girl sings.
• He drinks.
• It sleeps.

Kindly note that the first. Person "I" and the second person "You" are treated as Plural.

When to use Simple Present Tense:

To express a habitual action:

e.g.

• I go to gym every day.
• The business woman reads the newspaper every day.
• We go to the mall every week.

To express a truth which is universal:

e.g.

• The sun rises in the east.
• The earth revolves around the sun.
• Light is faster than sound.

For dramatic narratives (the special usage for a touching effect is called the Historic Present)

e.g.

• It is midnight, and the fourteenth of August 1947 gives way to the fifteenth and India is a free country.
• Neil Armstrong walks on the moon and he knows he has accomplished a feat

To express a planned series of actions in the future.

e.g.

• The President arrives at 11 a.m tomorrow.
• The team members meet at 10 a.m. and then leave for Denmark 4 p.m. tomorrow. 

In exclamatory sentences beginning with "Here" and "There" to express what is actually taking place at the moment.

e.g.

• Here comes the Princess!
• There it goes! 

To introduce quotations:

e.g.

• Peter says, "Money is what money does."
• Maria quoted, "Perseverance is one's best friend."

In commentaries on sporting events:

e.g.

• Maradona defends himself, passes it conveniently, gets it   defends himself, passes it conveniently, gets it and kicks.
• Ah! What a goal.