Present Simple Verb Tenses

Here are some examples:

You might be wondering what I'm talking about with this whole principal parts of a verb business.

I bring this up because it is very important, and it will help you to form the present simple verb tense.

All verbs can be broken down into four parts called the principal parts of a verb.

Those four principal parts are:

1. Present

2. Present Participle

3. Past

4. Past Participle

You form the present simple verb tense by using one of those principal parts - the present part.

Let's look at a chart of the principal parts of a verb so that you know what I mean.

There are three ways to make a verb into the simple present tense:

You use the verb's present form, you add an s to the present form, or you add an es to the present form.

The verb itself and the number of the subject will determine which of the three ways you need to use. (It varies for each verb and subject.)

1. Use the present form of the verb.

You use this for plural subjects (that means more than one), and for those crazy singular pronouns I and you.

2. Add s to present form of the verb.

You'll only do this when your subject is singular. (That means one.)

3. Add es to the present form of the verb.

You'll only do this when your subject is singular and the verb ends in s, z, x, sh, or ch.

Notice that all of the verbs in those sentences are showing actions that are happening right now. That makes them present tense verbs.

English verbs have six different verb tenses, and they are broken up into two different groups.

There are three simple tenses. These are your basic, run-of-the-mill tenses.

1. Present Simple

2. Past Simple

3. Future Simple

There are three perfect tenses. These three tenses are all formed using the helping verbs have, has, had, will, and shall along with the past participle of the verb.

1. Present Perfect

2. Past Perfect

3. Future Perfect

You can learn more about verb tenses here.

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