Grammar for EFL teachers: The Present Simple Tense

The Present Simple tense is a grammatical tense used to describe general truths, habitual actions, routines, and permanent states of being. It is one of the basic tenses in English and is often the first tense that learners of English acquire. In this tense, the verb is used in its base form (infinitive) without any additional inflections, except for the third-person singular form.

Structure:

The basic structure of the Present Simple tense is as follows:

Positive:

Subject + Verb (base form) + Object

Negative:

Subject + do/does not + Verb (base form) + Object

Question:

Do/Does + Subject + Verb (base form) + Object?

Note: In the affirmative form, we use the base form of the verb for all subjects except for the third-person singular (he, she, it), where we add 's' or 'es' to the verb. The negative form uses the auxiliary verb 'do/does' + 'not,' and the question form starts with 'do/does' before the subject.

Examples:

Positive: 

- I like ice cream.

- He plays the guitar.

- We study English.

Negative:

- She does not eat meat.

- They do not live in that house.

- It does not rain much in this area.

Question:

- Do you speak Spanish?

- Does she work on Sundays?

- Do they live in London?

Uses:

1. Habitual actions and routines: The Present Simple tense is commonly used to describe actions that are repeated regularly or habits.

Example: 

- I go to the gym every Monday.

- She brushes her teeth twice a day.

- They always watch a movie on Friday nights.

2. General truths and facts: The Present Simple tense is used to express general truths or facts that are considered to be permanent or unchanging.

Example:

- The sun rises in the east.

- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

- The Earth revolves around the sun.

3. Scheduled events: The Present Simple tense is used to talk about future events that are part of a fixed schedule or timetable.

Example:

- The train departs at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.

- The conference starts next week.

- The movie premieres on Friday.

4. Instructions and directions: The Present Simple tense is used in instructions, directions, and recipes.

Example:

- First, you add the flour to the bowl.

- Then, you mix the ingredients together.

- Finally, you bake the cake for 30 minutes.

5. Commentaries and sports broadcasts: The Present Simple tense is often used in commentaries, live sports broadcasts, and news headlines to describe ongoing events.

Example:

- The striker shoots, and he scores!

- The market closes with a slight decrease in stocks.

- The president delivers a speech tonight.

It's important to note that while the Present Simple tense primarily indicates present time, it can also be used to talk about future events in certain contexts, such as fixed schedules or timetables. Additionally, adverbs of frequency (e.g., always, usually, often, sometimes) are commonly used with the Present Simple tense to indicate how often an action occurs