Present simple to talk about habits
The present simple tense in English is commonly used to talk about habits or repeated actions. Here’s how it works:
- Formulation: In the present simple tense, we use the base form of the verb (infinitive) for all subjects except third person singular (he, she, it), where we add «-s» or «-es» to the base form of the verb. For example:
- I/You/We/They play tennis every weekend.
- He/She/It plays tennis every weekend.
- Examples of habits: We can use the present simple tense to talk about habits or actions that occur regularly, often, or always. For example:
- I always brush my teeth before bed.
- She often goes for a run in the morning.
- They usually eat dinner together as a family.
- Keywords: Adverbs of frequency like «always,» «often,» «usually,» «sometimes,» «rarely,» and «never» are often used with the present simple to indicate how often a habit occurs.
- Negative and interrogative forms: To make negative sentences, we add «do not» (don’t) or «does not» (doesn’t) before the base form of the verb. In interrogative sentences, we use «do» or «does» at the beginning of the sentence. For example:
- Negative: I don’t watch TV in the morning.
- Interrogative: Do you eat breakfast every day?
Overall, the present simple tense is a straightforward way to talk about habits, routines, and repeated actions in English.
