Simple Tenses

Simple Present

FORM

[VERB] + s/es in third person
Examples:

·       You speak English.

·       Do you speak English?

·       You do not speak English.

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. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.
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. It is not important that this fact is untrue.

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?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.
Examples:

·       I am here now.

·       She is not here now.

·       He needs help right now.

·       He does not need help now.

·       He has his passport in his hand.

·       Do you have your passport with you?

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:

·       You only speak English.

·       Do you only speak English?

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Simple Past

FORM

[VERB+ed] or irregular verbs
Examples:

·       You called Debbie.

·       Did you call Debbie?

·       You did not call Debbie.

Complete List of Simple Past Forms

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:

·       I saw a movie yesterday.

·       I didn't see a play yesterday.

·       Last year, I traveled to Japan.

·       Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.

·       Did you have dinner last night?

·       She washed her car.

·       He didn't wash his car.

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:

·       I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

·       He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.

·       Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

USE 3 Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:

·       I lived in Brazil for two years.

·       Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

·       They sat at the beach all day.

·       They did not stay at the party the entire time.

·       We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.

·       A: How long did you wait for them?
B: We waited for one hour.

USE 4 Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples:

·       I studied French when I was a child.

·       He played the violin.

·       He didn't play the piano.

·       Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?

·       She worked at the movie theater after school.

·       They never went to school, they always skipped class.

USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to."
Examples:

·       She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

·       He didn't like tomatoes before.

·       Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?

·       People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

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Simple Future

Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future.

FORM Will

[will + verb]
Examples:

·       You will help him later.

·       Will you help him later?

·       You will not help him later.

FORM Be Going To

[am/is/are + going to + verb]
Examples:

·       You are going to meet Jane tonight.

·       Are you going to meet Jane tonight?

·       You are not going to meet Jane tonight.

USE 1 "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action

"Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.
Examples:

·       I will send you the information when I get it.

·       I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.

·       Will you help me move this heavy table?

·       Will you make dinner?

·       I will not do your homework for you.

·       I won't do all the housework myself!

·       A: I'm really hungry.
B: I'll make some sandwiches.

·       A: I'm so tired. I'm about to fall asleep.
B: I'll get you some coffee.

·       A: The phone is ringing.
B: I'll get it.

USE 2 "Will" to Express a Promise

"Will" is usually used in promises.
Examples:

·       I will call you when I arrive.

·       If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure everyone has access to inexpensive health insurance.

·       I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party.

·       Don't worry, I'll be careful.

·       I won't tell anyone your secret.

USE 3 "Be going to" to Express a Plan

"Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.
Examples:

·       He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.

·       She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.

·       A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?
B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.

·       I'm going to be an actor when I grow up.

·       Michelle is going to begin medical school next year.

·       They are going to drive all the way to Alaska.

·       Who are you going to invite to the party?

·       A: Who is going to make John's birthday cake?
B: Sue is going to make John's birthday cake.

USE 4 "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction

Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.
Examples:

·       The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.

·       The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.

·       John Smith will be the next President.

·       John Smith is going to be the next President.

·       The movie "Zenith" will win several Academy Awards.

·       The movie "Zenith" is going to win several Academy Awards 

Other page to consult

www.edufind.com/english-grammar/simple-present-tense/

Practice Here

www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/zeitformen.htm
www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs12.htm
www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs3.htm
www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs11.htm