I made something for you! --> Click here to download the free Beginner's Guide to Grammar.

Present Simple Verb Tenses

Our free guide gives you a fun way to teach and learn the basics.

Present Simple Verb Tenses

Present simple verb tenses show actions that happen regularly or that are permanently happening.

The children play near the park.

The pretty horse gallops across the field.

Principal Parts of Verbs

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

I bring this up because it's 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 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.

Present	Present Participle	Past	Past Participle
come	(is) coming	came	(have) come
fall	(is) falling	fell	(have) fallen
go	(is) going	went	(have) gone
graduate	(is) graduating	graduated	(have) graduated
know	(is) knowing	knew	(have) known
walk	(is) walking	walk	(have) walked
write	(is) writing	wrote	(have) written

Forming the Present Simple Tense

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

1. You use the verb's present form. 2. You add an s to the present form. 3. 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.

The children play near the park.

I know how to make a sandwich.

2. Add s to present form of the verb.

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

Mark plays near the park.

The pretty horse gallops across the field.

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.

Mr. Hanny teaches first grade.

The little girl misses her mom.

Elizabeth O'Brien from Grammar Revolution

Hello! I'm Elizabeth, and my goal is to get you jazzed about grammar. Click here to see how I can help you.

I gave my regular ESL class yesterday, and I knew how to answer a question about dependent clauses and another about participles being used as adjectives. This was in my more advanced class. Hurray! Thanks.

- Lana, ESL Teacher

If you want to teach or learn grammar the easy way, follow our step-by-step program which clearly lays everything out and allows you to move at your own pace. The Get Smart Grammar Program is presented in a logical sequence, so it's not an overwhelming mishmash of information. Just watch the videos and complete your assignments. Before you know it, you'll be a grammar and sentence diagramming pro!