English Grammar: Present Simple Tense Formation and Use – 1st Year Secondary – Algeria

Present Simple Tense: Formation and Use

The Present Simple is one of the most important tenses in English. It is used to describe habits, routines, general truths, and permanent situations.

Formation

Affirmative: Subject + Base Verb (add -s/-es for he/she/it).
Ex: I play football. / She plays tennis.

Negative: Subject + do/does + not + Base Verb.
Ex: I do not (don’t) like coffee. / He does not (doesn’t) work here.

Interrogative: Do/Does + Subject + Base Verb?
Ex: Do you speak English? / Does she live in Algiers?

Spelling Rules for -s/-es

• Most verbs: add -s (play → plays, read → reads).
• Verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o: add -es (watch → watches, go → goes).
• Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -es (study → studies).
• Verbs ending in vowel + y: add -s (play → plays, say → says).

Uses of Present Simple

• Habits and routines: I wake up at 6 o’clock every day.
• General truths: The sun rises in the east.
• Permanent situations: She works in a hospital.
• Scheduled events (timetables): The train leaves at 8 PM.

Time Expressions

Common time expressions used with Present Simple: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every day/week/month, once a week, on Mondays.

Examples

I always brush my teeth before bed. She never eats meat. The Earth orbits the Sun. We visit our grandparents every Friday.

Exercises

1. Complete the sentences with the correct form: “He (play) ______ football every Saturday. They (not like) ______ swimming.”
2. Make questions: “You speak English.” → “______ you speak English?”
3. Correct the mistakes: “She go to school by bus.” “I doesn’t like cats.”

For more English lessons, check Present Continuous Tense and Past Simple Tense.