The simple present tense is one of several forms of present tense in English. It is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements.

Examples

·         For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.

·         For repeated actions or events
We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in Trichy.
They drive to Ooty every summer. 

·         For general truths
Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.

·         For fixed arrangements
Raj arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March

Forming the simple present Tense: 

For example:

• I walk.
• You dance.
• We run.
• They exist.
• Rivers flow.

Notes on the simple present, third person singular

• In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:

he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.

• Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary ‘DO’) + the infinitive of the verb.

He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.

Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:

• fly –> flies, cry –> cries

Exception: if there is a vowel before the –y:

play –> plays, pray –> prays

• Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:

he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

Examples

• He goesto school every morning.
• She understands
• It mixesthe sand and the water.
• He triesvery hard.
• She enjoysplaying the piano.