Simple Tenses in English Grammar

Simple Tenses

Present Simple

• Used to describe:
  • Habits and routines
  • General truths
  • Facts
• Formation:
  • Base form of the verb (e.g., I go, you go, he/she/it goes, we go, they go)
  • Negative form: don't/doesn't + base form (e.g., I don't go, she doesn't go)
  • Question form: do/does + subject + base form (e.g., Do I go?, Does she go?)
• Examples:
  • I get up at 7:00 am every day. (habit)
  • Water boils at 100°C. (general truth)
  • I live in Paris. (fact)

Past Simple

• Used to describe:
  • Completed actions in the past
  • Specific times or dates in the past
• Formation:
  • Past tense form of the verb (e.g., I went, you went, he/she/it went, we went, they went)
  • Negative form: didn't + base form (e.g., I didn't go, she didn't go)
  • Question form: did + subject + base form (e.g., Did I go?, Did she go?)
• Examples:
  • I went to the movies last night. (completed action)
  • I graduated from university in 2010. (specific time)

Simple Tenses

Present Simple

• Describes habits and routines, general truths, and facts
• Formation:
  • Use base form of the verb (e.g., go, go, goes, go, go)
  • Negative form: don't/doesn't + base form (e.g., don't go, doesn't go)
  • Question form: do/does + subject + base form (e.g., Do I go?, Does she go?)
• Examples of habits and routines:
  • I get up at 7:00 am every day
• Examples of general truths:
  • Water boils at 100°C
• Examples of facts:
  • I live in Paris

Past Simple

• Describes completed actions in the past and specific times or dates in the past
• Formation:
  • Use past tense form of the verb (e.g., went, went, went, went, went)
  • Negative form: didn't + base form (e.g., didn't go, didn't go)
  • Question form: did + subject + base form (e.g., Did I go?, Did she go?)
• Examples of completed actions:
  • I went to the movies last night
• Examples of specific times or dates:
  • I graduated from university in 2010