The Simple Tense: A Beginner’s Guide to English Grammar

The simple tense is the most basic verb tense in English—and also the simplest! But despite its name, there are some confusing grammar rules and not-so-simple restrictions. So whether you’re learning English or just brushing up on your grammar basics, this guide explains everything you need to know about past, present, and future simple tenses.

What is the simple tense?

The simple tense is a verb tense in English grammar used with verb conjugation for standard actions in the past, present, and future, as well as regularly repeated actions. The simple tense is itself divided by time into the past simple tense, present simple tense, and future simple tense.

The simple tense is the most basic verb tense, and because of this, it has the fewest rules and conjugation. For example, the present simple often uses the verb’s root form, or bare infinitive form, which means you don’t have to change or add anything to conjugate it correctly.

However, pay close attention to the correct word order in English when using negatives and questions, even in the simple tense. Negatives and questions use special rules for word order, which we explain below.

English grammar basics: Verb tenses

Of all the verb tenses, the simple tense is the best place to start when learning a language or studying EAL (English as an additional language) grammar. It represents basic actions in the past, present, and future, so it’s one of the most commonly used verb tenses. Additionally, it’s one of the easiest tenses to learn, with fewer rules compared with other tenses like the present perfect tense or past continuous tense.

The simple tense is also useful for the sequence of tenses to show universal truths like, “I learned yesterday that zebras travel as families.” Even though the action of learning happened in the past, we use the simple present tense for travel to show a universal and ongoing truth.

The simple present tense shows actions that happen regularly, such as “I ride a bike to work every day.” Stative verbs like want, need, love, hate, or seem also use the simple present tense for actions that are happening right now—but non-stative verbs like work instead use the present continuous tense for current actions.

I work every day. [present simple]

I am working now, so I can’t talk. [present continuous]

I feel busy now because I am working. [present simple with stative verb]

Present simple tense grammar rules

Subject-verb agreement

The most important grammar rule for the present simple tense is subject-verb agreement, which for English grammar means the verb conjugation has to match the subject’s number and grammatical person.

For example, if I am talking about myself only, that’s first-person singular (I am); if I’m talking about myself as part of a group, that’s first-person plural (we are); and if I’m talking about another person, that’s third-person singular (he/she/it is).

Aside from the irregular verb be, which changes forms for all persons and numbers, the only person-number to worry about in the simple present is the third-person singular.

For the present simple tense, the third-person singular adds an –s to the end of the verb, or an –es if the verb ends in -x, –ss, –sh, –ch, –tch, or –zz. The verbs go and do also use –es.

Carla sees.

Carla watches.

If the verb ends in consonant + y, remove the y and add –ies.

Carla tries.

All other persons and numbers use the root form of the verb.

I see.

You watch.

They try.

Use the auxiliary verb do for questions and negatives

The simple present tense adds the auxiliary verb do before the main verb for both questions and negatives. In these constructions, the main verb uses the root form, so only the auxiliary do is conjugated. In this case, the verb do is conjugated as does for the third-person singular.

Additionally, you don’t need do if you’re using the negative never, but then you need to conjugate the verb if the subject uses the third-person singular. If you’re using the negative not, add do.

Present simple tense construction

Statement

[Subject] + [Root Form of Verb]

Negative

[Subject] + do/does + not + [Root Form of Verb]

Question

Do/Does + [Subject] + [Root Form of Verb]

[Relative pronoun (Who, What, etc.)] + do/does + [Subject] + [Root Form of Verb]

Present simple tense examples

Statement

I go to the supermarket whenever there’s a sale.

Sometimes my friend goes with me.

Negative

I don’t go anywhere when it’s raining. [don’t = do not]

I never go anywhere when it’s raining.

Question

Do you come here often?

What does your friend want to eat?

The simple past tense shows actions that already happened, or in other words, completed actions. Most verbs simply add the suffix –ed to the root form of the verb or just -d if the verb already ends in an e.

Past simple tense grammar rules

Regular vs. irregular verbs

The hardest part about the past simple tense is irregular verbs, which use a unique form for the past tense instead of the common –ed ending. For example, the past simple form of eat is ate, NOT eated. Unfortunately, the only way to learn how to use irregular verbs is to memorize them all.

When to double a consonant with -ed