The present simple tense is used to describe habits, routines, and general truths. It is formed by using the base form of the verb (for example, “eat,” “drink,” and “walk”) and is usually accompanied by the subject pronoun “I,” “you,” “we,” or “they.”
Here are some examples of the present simple tense:
- “I eat breakfast every morning.” (habit)
- “The sun rises in the east.” (general truth)
- “She speaks Spanish fluently.” (routine or ability)
In the present simple tense, the verb is not conjugated to indicate any specific time frame. Instead, it is used to describe a general or habitual action.
Conjugation tables
Here is a conjugation table for the present simple tense, showing the verb forms for the subject pronouns “I,” “you,” “he/she/it,” “we,” and “they”:
Subject pronoun | Verb form |
---|---|
I | eat |
you | eat |
he/she/it | eats |
we | eat |
they | eat |
As you can see, the verb form for the present simple tense does not change for the subject pronouns “I,” “you,” “we,” and “they.” However, for the subject pronoun “he/she/it,” the verb form ends in “-s” (e.g. “eats,” “walks,” “plays”).
Subject pronoun | Verb (sleep) | Verb (dream) | Verb (play) |
---|---|---|---|
I | sleep | dream | play |
you | sleep | dream | play |
he/she/it | sleeps | dreams | plays |
we | sleep | dream | play |
they | sleep | dream | play |