1. What is the present tense?

The present tense is used to describe things that are true:

a) things that are true now
b) things that are always or generally true
c) schedules
d) opinions

2. How do you make the present tense?

To make the present tense:

subject + verb (in present simple form)
*objects, times etc. can be added if needed

The present simple form must conjugate with the subject. This means adding an ‘s’ when using ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘it’:

I/you/it/we/they + verb (no s)
He/she/it + verb (+ s)

3. Examples of present simple verb forms

no s

I am*	You are*	We are*	They are*
I like	You like	We like	They like
I eat	You eat	We eat	They eat
I want	You want	We want	They want
I take	You take	We take	They take
I buy	You buy	We buy	They buy
I use	You use	We use	They use
I do	You do	We do	They do
I go	You go	We go	They go
I have	You have	We have	They have

+ s

He is*	She is*	It is*
He likes	She likes	It likes
He eats	She eats	It eats
He wants	She wants	It wants
He takes	She takes	It takes
He buys	She buys	Itbuys
He uses	She uses	It uses
He does	She does	It does
He goes	She goes	It goes
He has	She has	It has

*Note: ‘be’ is a special verb that uses ‘am’/ ‘is’ / ‘are’

4. Examples of the present simple tense

things that are true now	things that are always or generally true	schedules	opinions
I am 22 years old.	Bananas are yellow.	English class is on Tuesday afternoons.	That is not right.
I like chicken.	Ice melts in the sun.	I have a meeting tomorrow.	I believe you.
She has long, red hair.	Cats like to sleep.	I wake up at 7 30.	He is an idiot.
The chair is in the kitchen.	Berlin is the capital of Germany.	He brushes his teeth every night.	I think bears are cuter than dogs.

5. Test yourself

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