How Do You Use Simple Present Tense?
In English, simple present tense can both be the easiest and the most difficult for non-native speakers to use correctly and consistently. Let’s see how to do it. Determine if simple present is really the tense you need to use. The most common uses of simple present are for (1) factual statements – Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. (2) repeated/habitual actions – We visit our grandparents every Sunday. (3) reporting information – The author explains how to make spaghetti. Think about the subject of your sentence. Is it singular (one cat) or plural (two cats)? Make the verb of your sentence agree with your subject. To do this in simple present tense is generally easy. If the subject is plural, don’t do anything to the verb: The cats like to drink milk. “Like” does not change. If the subject is singular, add an -s (sometimes -es or -ies) to the verb: The cat likes to drink milk. “Like” becomes “likes” in simple present tense for a singular subject.
