Simple Present Tense Definition Structure and Examples

Simple Present Tense describes a general action in the present time. This article provides a Definition Structure and Examples of Simple Present Tense with practical uses and exercises. Study them to make yourself easy for writing and speaking in the English language.

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Simple Present Tense Definition

The action of the verb is in the Present Indefinite Tense / Simple Present Tense when the action is used to describe habitual or permanent action or any daily routine. For Example,

He goes to school daily.
The sun rises in the east.

'Is' is the Simple present Tense of the verb 'be'. 
'Be' is used as- 
I am, He/She/It is, We/You/They are

'Be' verb when used as Main Verb, means 'to be oneself'. Example, I am a student.

"Has" is the Simple Present Tense of the verb 'Have'. 
'Have' verb is used as - 
I have, We have, You have, He has, She has, They have

When the 'have' verb is used as a Main Verb, it means 'to possess something'. Example, I have a car.

Both 'Be' and 'Have' verbs can be used as Auxiliary verbs and Principal verbs.

Simple Present Tense with ‘Be’ verbs

Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative-Interrogative
I am.	I am not.	Am I?	Am I not?
We are	We are not.	Are we?	Are we not?
You are	You are not.	Are you?	Are you not?
He is.	He is not.	Is he?	Is he not?
She is.	She is not.	Is she?	Is she not?
It is.	It is not.	Is it?	Is it not?
Sania is.	Sania is not.	Is Sania?	Is not Sania?
They are.	They are not.	Are they?	Are they not?

Examples of ‘Be’ with complement

1. I am young.
2. They are merchants.
3. You are poor.
4. He is ill.
5. The clothes are dirty.
6. The girl is truthful.

Simple Present Tense with ‘Have’ verbs

Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative-Interrogative
I have.	I have no/not.	Have I?	Have I no/not.?
We have	We have no/not.	Have we?	Have we no/not.?
You have	You have no/not.	Have you?	Have you no/not.?
He has.	Ha has no/not.	Has he?	Has he no/not?
She has.	She has no/not.	Has she?	Has she no/not?
Sania has.	Sania has no/not.	Has Sania?	Has not Sania?
It has.	It has no/not.	Has it?	Has it no/not?
They are.	They have no/not.	Have they?	Have they no/not?

Note: 

In the case of the 'To have' Verb, when forming interrogative and Negative-Interrogative sentences, the Verb comes before the Subject and the Negative word 'Not' comes after the Pronoun and before the Noun. 

'No' and 'Not' mean almost the same. 

'No' comes before 'Noun'.

But the word 'Not' comes before 'Article' and 'Adjective' or both. 

For example,
No man, but not a single man; 
No dog, but not a dog, etc. 

Note the position of both No and Not in the above sentences. 
Now note carefully the position of 'no' only in sentences formed with 'to have' verbs:

Examples of ‘Have’ verbs with ‘no’/’not’

1. Has he a knife?
2. Ram has three umbrellas.
3. Has not Ram three umbrellas?
4. The blacksmith has no shop.
5. Has the blachsmith no shop?
6. The doctor has two cars.
7. Has not the doctor two cars?
8. They have time.
9. Have they no time?

Simple Present Tense Structure with action verbs

Simple Present Tense Structure is really important to know for writing as well as speaking in English. Simple Present Tense may be

a Positive or Affirmative Sentence
a Negative Sentence
an Interrogative Sentence
a Negative-Interrogative sentence

All structures are discussed below with a table and examples in an easy way.

Positive or Affirmative Sentence

Structure

Subject + Verb+ Object.

Table

PERSON	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1^st	I eat rice.	we eat rice.
2^nd	you eat rice.	you eat rice.
3^rd	He/She/it/(single name) eats rice.	They/(two or more names) eat rice.

Important Note : we must add   “s” or  “es”    with Verb  , if the Verb  is in the Simple Present Tense Third Person and Singular Number as Shown Above

Examples

1. He plays football.
2. The sun rises in the East.
3. You read history.
4. Birds fly in the Sky.
5. We go to school.

Negative Sentence

Structure

Structure :- Subject + Do/Does + Not+ Verb+ Object.

Table

PERSON	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1^st	I do not eat rice.	We do not eat rice.
2^nd	You do not eat rice.	You do not eat rice.
3^rd	He/She/It does not rice.	They do not eat rice.

Examples

1. They do not play football.
2. The sun does not set in the West.
3. You do not drink milk.
4. Birds do not make houses.
5. We do not make noise

Interrogative Sentence

Structure

Do/Does + Subject + Verb + Object?

Table

PERSON	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1^st	Do I eat rice?	Do we eat rice?
2^nd	Do you eat rice?	Do you eat rice?
3^rd	Does he/she/it eat rice?	Do they eat rice?

Examples

1. Does he play football?
2. Does the sun rise in the East?
3. Do you read history?
4. Do birds fly in the Sky?
5. Are you a student?

Negative-Interrogative Sentence

Structure

Structure:- Do/Does + Subject( If Pronoun) + Not + Verb + Object?

Structure:- Do/Does + Not + Subject (If Noun)+ Verb + Object?

If the Subject is “NOUN”, “Not” will be placed before “Subject”. 

Example:- Does not Asha like fruits?

If the Subject is “PRONOUN”, “Not” will be placed after “Subject”. 

Example:- Do they not study in college?

Table

PERSON	SINGULAR	PLURAL
1^st	Do I not eat rice?	Do we not eat rice?
2^nd	Do you not eat rice?	Do you not eat rice?
3^rd	Does he or she or it( Pro N) not eat rice? Does not John( N) eat rice?	Do they not eat rice?

Examples

1. Does not Ram play football?
2. Does not the sunrise in the East?
3. Do you not read history?
4. Are we not honest?
5. Do they not grow crops?

Change of Sentence in Simple Present Tenes

Explore the following table to understand the change of sentences in Simple present Tense. For example, here the main verb is ‘eat’. But the change of sentences will be as follows with any other main verb in English.

Sentence	Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative-Interrogative
I eat rice.	I eat rice.	I do not eat rice.	Do I not eat rice?	Do I not eat rice?
We eat rice.	We eat rice.	We do not eat rice.	Do we eat rice?	Do we not eat rice?
You eat rice.	You eat rice.	You do not eat rice.	Do you eat rice?	Do you not eat rice?
He eats rice.	He eats rice.	He does not eat rice.	Do you eat rice?	Do you not eat rice?
She eats rice.	She eats rice.	She does not eat rice.	Do you eat rice?	Do you not eat rice?
Riya eats rice.	Riya eats rice.	Riya does not eat rice.	Does Riya eat rice?	Does not Riya eat rice?
They eat rice.	They eat rice.	They do not eat rice.	Do they eat rice?	Do they not eat rice?

Practical use of Simple Present tense

The simple present tense is used to refer to –

Universal or general truth: Honesty is the best policy.
Habitual or permanent action: He eats rice.
Past events make the narrative more vivid: People say it is a historic win.
Quotations from Authors: “What a man is he !”
To express a future action: The college closes on the 20th.

Exercises of Simple Present Tense

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable forms of the verbs given in brackets.

(i) Mother Teressa ………………… (live) in Calcutta.
(ii) She ……………………………….. (give) shelter to the poor.
(iii) She ……………………………….(help) the man in distress.
(iv) She ……………………………………. (be) a noble lady.
(v) She …………………………………………. (lead) a simple life.
(vi) She …………………………………………(do) not like publicity.
(vii) She …………………………………….. (like) to live among the poor.
(viii) God …………………………… (bless) her.

2. Fill in the blanks with suitable words under the list.

(i)The boys …………………………..
(ii) The earth…………………… round,
(iii) Honey…………………………….. sweet.
(iv) The sun ………………………….. in the east.
(v) Horses ……………………………..fast.
(vi) She ……………………………………. for Delhi tomorrow.
(vii) The school …………………………. next week.
(viii) The boat ……………………………. on the river.

[sail, run, rise, start, is, run, open, taste.]

3. Fill in the blanks with Simple Present Tense.

(i) They ……………………… football.
(ii) I….. a bird.
(iii) Kamala……………… music.
(iv) P.T. Usha–fast.
(v) Ram…………………. to Calcutta.
(vi) Debjoti in the river. –
(vii) Some………………. here regularly.
(viii) He……………… well.

[swim, go, play, come, write, run, see, hear.]

4. Change the sentences as directed.

(i) They drive the car. ( Negative)
(ii) Do you like coffee? (Negative-Interrogative)
(iii) Mala does not sing a song. (Positive )
(iv) Does not Sania Mirza play tennis? (Interrogative)
(v) Ram writes a letter.(Negative-Interrogative)
(vi) Does Anuska break the cup? (Positive )
(vii) Trees give us life. (Negative-Interrogative)
(viii) Do they not make noise? (Interrogative)

5. Correct the following sentences.

(i) Mother cook food.
(ii) Do he like coffee?
(iii) Mala not sing a song.
(iv) Is he two cars?
(v) He has a student.
(vi) Does Anuska breaks the cup?
(vii) Trees gives us life.
(viii) Does they not make noise?

Simple Present Tense Definition

Simple Present Tense with ‘Be’ verbs

Examples of ‘Be’ with complement

Simple Present Tense with ‘Have’ verbs

Examples of ‘Have’ verbs with ‘no’/’not’

Simple Present Tense Structure with action verbs

Positive or Affirmative Sentence

Structure

Table

Examples

Negative Sentence

Structure

Table

Examples

Interrogative Sentence

Structure

Table

Examples

Negative-Interrogative Sentence

Structure

Table

Examples

Change of Sentence in Simple Present Tenes

Practical use of Simple Present tense

Exercises of Simple Present Tense

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