· You do not speak English.
· Do you speak English?
Most verbs conjugate like the verb below. Notice how you add an "s" to third-person forms. Third-person negative forms and third-person questions are made using "does".
The verb "have" is irregular in positive, third-person forms. This irregular form has been marked below with an asterisk*.
To be is an irregular verb in the Simple Present. It also has different question forms and negative forms.
USE 1: Repeated Actions
Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
Examples:
· I play tennis.
· She does not play tennis.
· Does he play tennis?
· The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
· The train does not leave at 9 AM.
· When does the train usually leave?
· She always forgets her purse.
· He never forgets his wallet.
· Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
· Does the Sun circle the Earth?
USE 2: Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.
Examples:
· Cats like milk.
· Birds do not like milk.
· Do pigs like milk?
· California is in America.
· California is not in the United Kingdom.
· Windows are made of glass.
· Windows are not made of wood.
· New York is a small city.
USE 3: Scheduled Events in the Near Future
Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.
Examples:
· The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.
· The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
· When do we board the plane?
· The party starts at 8 o'clock.
· When does class begin tomorrow?
