Simple Tenses in the English Language

The simple tenses are a category of verb tenses. It covers the past simple tense, present simple tense, and future simple tense.

The three simple tenses express regular facts or activities. Unlike other tenses, the simple tenses describe actions without specifying whether the actions are complete or continuous.

Present simple tense

 

We use the present simple tense to talk about actions, recurring events, permanent states, or things that are always true. To learn more about this simple present, read the article carefully.

1. Present simple

The present simple tense is formed as follows: Pronouns + Verb.

For examples:

• He goes to school every morning.
• I work as a customer service.
• Your exam starts at 09:00.

2. Present simple in the negative form

The present simple tense is formed in the negative form as follows: Pronouns + Do not (don't) / Does not (doesn't) + Verb.

For examples:

• He doesn't go to school every morning.
• I don't work as a customer service.
• Your exam doesn't start at 09:00.

3. Present simple in questions

The present simple tense is formed in the case of questions as follows: Do not (don't) / Does not (doesn't) + Pronouns + Verb.

For examples:

• Does he go to school every morning?
• Do I work as a customer service?
• Does your exam start at 09:00?

 

See: Talk About Times Expressions and Tenses Easily

Past simple tense

 

With most verbs, the past simple tense verb is formed by adding -ed  to be something that happened in the past, something that happened repeatedly in the past, and something that was true some time in the past.

1. Past simple

The past simple tense is formed as follows: Pronouns + Verb (-d, -ed, -ied).

For examples:

• My cat died last year.
• We crossed the channel.
• Your exam started at 09:00.

2. Past simple in the negative form

The past simple tense In the negative case, we use the verb and then add before it "did not" (for short, didn't) as follows: Pronouns + Did not + Verb.

For examples:

• He didn't go to school.
• I didn't work as a customer service.
• Your exam didn't start at 09:00.

3. Past simple in questions

Past simple in questions is a question that is often answered yes or no. It formed as the following form: Did + Pronouns + Verb.

For examples:

• Did he go to school?
• Did I work as a customer service?
• Did your exam start at 09:00?

 

See: All Passive Voice Tenses With Structures and Examples

Future simple tense

The future simple tense has two different forms in the English language "will" and "be going to". Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express completely different meanings.

These different meanings may seem abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become apparent. Both "will" and "be going to". Indicates a specific time in the future.

1. Future simple

The future simple tense is formed as follows: Pronouns + Will + Verb.

For examples:

• My cat will die last year.
• We will cross the channel.
• Your exam will start at 09:00.

2. Future simple in the negative form

The future simple tense is formed in the negative form as follows: Pronouns + Will + Not + Verb.

For examples:

• My cat will not die last year.
• We will not cross the channel.
• Your exam will not start at 09:00.

3. Future simple in questions

The future simple tense is formed in the case of questions as follows: Will + Pronouns + Verb.

For examples:

• Will my cat die last year?
• Will we cross the channel?
• Will your exam start at 09:00?

See: How to Ask Questions in Passive Voice Tenses