How is the present simple tense used?
The present simple is the tense used to describe actions that are timeless. If the time of the action can be defined, then the present simple tense is used. The time and/or place is stated or understood.
The Present Simple Tense is used in the following situations:
- permanent actions -
- actions that happen on a regular basis
- facts
- statements that are always true
- to state existence
- to state feeling
- static verbs
- general actions
| Example | Past | Present | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| I go to school everyday |
x
|
x
|
x
|
| I live in New York. |
x
|
x
|
x
|
| Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius |
x
|
x
|
x
|
| I love to go to my English class. |
x
|
x
|
x
|
| This is a pen. |
x
|
x
|
x
|
Note: The x prepresents the time of the action.
Note: the present simple tense is also used in other parts of English grammar, such as conditional statements and the future tense.
Choose the best answer
1. What ____ you ____to draw ?
a. are / trying
b. is / trying
c. do / try
d. does / try
2. She sometimes ____ us waiting for her to come.
a. keep
b. kept
c. keeps
d. is keeping
3. His father ____ a Thai boxing match on TV every Saturday.
a. watch
b. watches
c. has watched
d. is watching
4. How ____ since we left school ?
a. are you
b. were you
c. have you been
d. had you been
5. The policemen______ for the robber all week, but they have not found him yet.
a. look
b. looked
c. have looked
d. have been looking
6. The dog is still wet. It ________ out of the rain.
a. was only just coming
b. only just comes
c. has only just come
d. had only just come
7. I must go now, my wife ____ for me at home .
a. waits
b. had waited
c. is waiting
d. will wait
8. She ____in Chieng Rai since she was married. Now she is still living there.
a. has lived
b. have lived
c. had lived
d. lives
9. Suda ____ right now to visit India next month.
a. plans
b. planed
c. will plan
d. is planning
10.She always ____ her hands before having dinner.
a. wash
b. washes
c. is washing
d. washed
11. That man ____ on the phone for 15 minutes.
a. has been talking
b. is talking
c. will talk
d. talks
12. I____ that book five times now.
a. am reading
b. have read
c. will read
d. read
13. They ____ church every Sunday.
a. attend
b. attended
c. are attending
d. have attended
14. I can't go out because it ____ very hard now.
a. rains
b. rained
c. had rained
d. is raining
15. George ____ cigarettes since his doctor told him to stop.
a. doesn't smoked
b. isn't smoking
c. hasn't smoked
d. will not smoke
16. Muslims ______ during the month of Ramadan.
a. fasted
b. fast
c. are fasting
d. have fasted
17. I ____ for my portrait for the last six weeks, but the artist hasn't finished it yet.
a. sat
b. are sitting
c. was sitting
d. have been sitting
18. You must wake her up ! She ____soundly for 10 hours.
a. is sleeping
b. has been sleeping
c. has slept
d. slept
19. Water ____ at 100๐C.
a. is boiling
b. has boils
c. boils
d. boiled
20. Listen ! The bell _________.
a. rings
b. will ring
c. was ringing
d. is ringing
