Simple tenses in English grammar, including present, past, and future forms used to describe actions, habits, general truths, or events.
Simple tenses are the most basic verb forms in English, used to express actions or situations that are habitual, factual, or occur at a specific time. The three simple tenses are present simple, past simple, and future simple.
- Describe routines, facts, or general truths (present simple)
- Talk about completed actions or events in the past (past simple)
- Express intentions, predictions, or decisions about the future (future simple)
Present Simple
The present simple tense describes habitual actions, general truths, or fixed arrangements.
Form
- Affirmative: Subject + base verb (add -s/-es for he/she/it)
- Negative: Subject + do/does not + base verb
- Question: Do/Does + subject + base verb?
Usage
- Routines: I wake up at 7 AM.
- General truths: Water boils at 100°C.
- Scheduled events: The train leaves at 9 PM.
- Stative verbs: She loves chocolate.
Examples
| English Affirmative | English Negative | English Question | Example (Affirmative) | Example (Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I play | I do not (don’t) play | Do I play? | I play tennis on weekends. | I play tennis on weekends. |
| She plays | She does not (doesn’t) play | Does she play? | She plays the piano. | She plays the piano. |
Past Simple
The past simple tense describes actions or events that were completed at a specific time in the past.
Form
- Affirmative: Subject + past verb (regular: + -ed / irregular: special form)
- Negative: Subject + did not + base verb
- Question: Did + subject + base verb?
Usage
- Completed actions: I visited Paris last year.
- Series of events: She finished work, cooked dinner, and watched TV.
- Past habits: When I was a child, I played outside.
Examples
| English Affirmative | English Negative | English Question | Example (Affirmative) | Example (Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I walked | I did not (didn’t) walk | Did I walk? | I walked to school yesterday. | I walked to school yesterday. |
| They saw | They did not (didn’t) see | Did they see? | They saw a movie last night. | They saw a movie last night. |
Future Simple
The future simple tense uses will to describe actions that will happen later, express intentions, or make spontaneous decisions.
Form
- Affirmative: Subject + will + base verb
- Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) + base verb
- Question: Will + subject + base verb?
Usage
- Predictions: It will rain tomorrow.
- Spontaneous decisions: I’ll answer the phone.
- Promises/Offers: I’ll help you with your homework.
- Future facts: The sun will rise at 6 AM.
Examples
| English Affirmative | English Negative | English Question | Example (Affirmative) | Example (Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I will go | I will not (won’t) go | Will I go? | I will go to the party tonight. | I will go to the party tonight. |
| She will call | She will not (won’t) call | Will she call? | She will call you later. | She will call you later. |
Summary
- Present Simple: Use for habits, facts, and scheduled events.
- Past Simple: Use for completed actions and past habits.
- Future Simple: Use for future intentions, predictions, and spontaneous decisions.
Understanding simple tenses is essential for building clear and correct English sentences about time.
Flashcards (1 of 6)
- Example (Affirmative): I play tennis on weekends.
- Example (Meaning): I play tennis on weekends.
- English Affirmative: I play
- English Negative: I do not (don’t) play
- English Question: Do I play?
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
