Present Indefinite Tense: Structure, Example & Exercise PDF

Understanding verb tenses is an important part of learning English grammar. Among the three main tenses, Past, Present, and Future, the Present Indefinite Tense, or Simple Present Tense, is one of the most commonly used. It helps you discuss daily habits, general facts, and universal truths, making it a crucial part of communication. If you’re preparing for tests like IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE or just want to improve your English skills, learning the Present Indefinite Tense is a great place to start.

This guide will explain the rules, uses, and examples of the Present Indefinite Tense in simple terms. We’ll also share tips and exercises to make it easy to understand and practice. Let’s dive in!

What is Present Indefinite Tense?

The Present Indefinite Tense, also known as the Simple Present Tense, is used to describe actions that occur regularly, habits, or universal truths. It does not indicate a specific time for the action’s completion but is essential for expressing facts, routines, natural truths, and sometimes near-future events.
This tense is a key part of everyday language, making it vital for clear communication. The key characteristics of Present Indefinite Tense are:

• It uses the base form of the verb.
• For third-person singular subjects, verbs end in -s or -es.

The table below clearly organizes the examples of the present indefinite tense, making it easier to understand the different uses of the present indefinite tense based on actions:

Category	Examples
Actions that Occur Regularly	1. She attends yoga classes every Monday. 2. The train leaves at 8 AM daily.
Habits	1. He drinks coffee every morning. 2. They always walk to school.
Universal Truths	1. The Earth revolves around the Sun. 2. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Facts	1. Cats are mammals. 2. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth.
Routines	1. I wake up at 6 AM every day. 2. We have dinner at 7 PM.
Natural Truths	1. The sun rises in the east. 2. Rain falls from clouds.
Near-Future Events	1. The movie starts at 5 PM. 2. Her flight departs tomorrow morning.

Structure and Rules of Present Indefinite Tense

“Let’s get straight to the fact that you cannot excel in the Present Simple Tense unless you know its structure and rules really well. This is where the Tens Rule comes into play. Without understanding this rule, how else would you analyze its usage in positive, negative, and interrogative sentences, as well as in other situations about to be discussed here?”

How to Form the Present Indefinite Tense?

The Present Indefinite Tense has specific structures for forming affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences. Let’s break down each type with detailed explanations and examples:

How to Form Affirmative Sentences

The affirmative sentences state facts, habits, or truths in a straightforward manner. The structure of affirmative sentences is:

Structure: Subject + Base Verb + Object

Explanation:

• Use the base form of the verb for plural subjects or the pronouns “I,” “you,” “we,” and “they.”
• Add an “s” or “es” to the verb for singular third-person subjects like “he,” “she,” or “it.”

Examples:

• She writes a letter. (Subject: She, Verb: writes, Object: a letter)
• We play basketball. (Subject: We, Verb: play, Object: basketball)

How to Make Present Indefinite Tense Negative?

Negative sentences in present indefinite tense express that an action does not happen. The structure of Negative present indefinite tense sentences is:

Structure: Subject + Do/Does + Not + Base Verb + Object

Explanation:

• Use “do not” with plural subjects and “I,” “you,” “we,” and “they.”
• Use “does not” for singular third-person subjects like “he,” “she,” or “it.”
• The main verb remains in its base form regardless of the subject.

Examples:

• He does not like tea. (Subject: He, Auxiliary: does not, Verb: like, Object: tea)
• I do not understand the question. (Subject: I, Auxiliary: do not, Verb: understand, Object: the question)

The sentences fall into two categories of the Present Indefinite Tense (Negative Sentences):

Negative Sentences with Action Verbs

These present indefinite tense sentences use “do not” or “does not” with the base verb to indicate that an action is not happening.

• Sara does not want to share the cake.
• Mohan does not want to do his homework.

Negative Sentences with the Verb “To Be”

These present indefinite tense sentences use the formula [to be] + not to express negation about a state or characteristic.

• I am not a cake lover, but Sara sure is.
• You aren’t ready for such a delicious cake.

How to Make Present Indefinite Tense Interrogative?

To ask questions in the present simple or present indefinite tense, we utilise the words ‘do’ and ‘does’. For the third person singular (she/he/it), we use does, whereas, for the others, we use ‘do’. With question terms like where, what, and when, we use ‘do’ and ‘does’. However, questions with who often don’t use ‘do’ or ‘does’.

The structure of Interrogative Sentences is:

Structure: Do/Does + Subject + Base Verb + Object?

Explanation:

• Use “do” with plural subjects and “I,” “you,” “we,” and “they.”
• Use “does” with singular third-person subjects like “he,” “she,” or “it.”
• The main verb remains in its base form.
• End the sentence with a question mark.

Let’s go through some of the examples mentioned below for present indefinite tense questions:

• Do they visit their grandparents often? (Auxiliary: Do, Subject: they, Verb: visit, Object: their grandparents)
• Does she speak French? (Auxiliary: Does, Subject: she, Verb: speak, Object: French)

Few more examples of present indefinite tense.

• Do you play the guitar?
• Where do you live in Delhi?
• Does he play tennis?
• Where does he study?
• When does Raman usually get up?
• Who cleans the garden at the weekend?

Subject-Verb Agreement in Present Indefinite Tense

Subject-Verb Agreement plays a key role in ensuring that the verb aligns correctly with its subject, based on number and person. In the Present Indefinite Tense, this agreement affects how verbs are modified depending on the subject. Below is a more detailed explanation of the rules:

1. Singular Third-Person Subjects

When the subject is singular and refers to the third person (he, she, it), the verb will end in -s or -es.

Rule:

• For singular third-person subjects, verbs must end in -s or -es.

Examples:

• She dances beautifully.
  (Subject: She; Verb: dances; the verb has -s to agree with the singular subject.)
• He writes every morning.
  (Subject: He; Verb: writes; -s is added for subject-verb agreement.)

2. Plural Subjects and “I”/”You” Pronouns

For plural subjects, and for the pronouns I and you, the verb is used in its base form without any changes.

Rule:

• Plural subjects and I/you do not alter the base form of the verb.

Examples:

• They run every day.
  (Subject: They; Verb: run; no modification is needed as the subject is plural.)
• I like reading books.
  (Subject: I; Verb: like; the verb remains in its base form.)

3. Verbs Ending in -es for Singular Third-Person Subjects

Some verbs, especially those ending in -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, and -o, require -es when used with singular third-person subjects.

Rule:

• Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, or -o need to add -es when the subject is singular and third-person.

Examples:

• He watches movies on weekends.
  (Subject: He; Verb: watches; -es is added to the verb because it ends in -ch.)
• She goes to work by bus.
  (Subject: She; Verb: goes; the verb receives -es because it ends in -o.)

Below are more examples based on the subject pronouns, which will help clarify the subject-verb agreement:

Subject	Verb (Do)	Verb (Eat)	Verb (Swim)	Verb (Walk)
First-person singular (I)	I do	I eat	I swim	I walk
Second-person singular (You)	You do	You eat	You swim	You walk
Third-person singular (He/She/It)	She does	She eats	She swims	She walks
First-person plural (We)	We do	We eat	We swim	We walk
Second-person plural (You)	You do	You eat	You swim	You walk
Third-person plural (They)	They do	They eat	They swim	They walk

This table clearly shows the subject-verb agreement with different pronouns in the Present Indefinite Tense. The verb remains in its base form for plural subjects and I/you, while it takes -s or -es for singular third-person subjects. By following these present indefinite tense rules, you can form grammatically correct sentences with ease.

Must Read: English Grammar Tenses Rule with Examples

Present Indefinite Tense Examples

To help you understand the use of the Present Indefinite Tense, we have provided some present indefinite tense examples with different types of actions. You can use these to identify the tense and test your knowledge.

1. I know how to protest against injustice
2. I do not like to quarrel
3. She prefers coffee to tea
4. You always shop in that market
5. The poet writes romantic poems
6. Do you love to listen to realistic songs?
7. He goes to the library every day
8. Do you like to watch cricket?
9. They always play cricket on that field
10. They love to play football
11. I write articles on different topics
12. We watch movies in this Cineplex
13. I sing different kinds of songs, especially modern
14. The lyricist writes realistic songs
15. I do not want to eat anything right now.
16. We come for shopping in this market
17. I love to listen to melodious songs
18. I am a peace-loving person
19. I love my parents and my elder brother
20. He reads various kinds of books
21. He loves to travel around the world

Present Indefinite Tense and Present Time

We use the present simple or present indefinite tense along with present time to talk about:

• Something true right now
• Anything that occurs frequently in the present
• A statement/thing/event that is always correct

Examples:

• I’m 21 years old.
• I’m a university student.
• I live in Delhi.
• The human body contains 206 bones.
• Light travels at almost 300,000 km in a second.
• The Earth revolves around the sun.

Simple Present Tense Practice Exercise

Now that you have ample knowledge about the present indefinite tense and its uses for different types of actions, you must practice thoroughly to learn its intricacies. Below we have provided some sample of present indefinite tense exercise which you can practice and let us know your answer in the comments below!

1. It is 10 am and I just woke up. The first thing I am going to do is _____(knock/ knocked/knocking) on the door of my mother’s room.
2. She always _______ (slept/sleeps/sleeping) till late.
3. Today, she shouldn’t sleep so ____(much/so long) as some guests are _____(came/coming) for lunch.
4. I normally wake up at 8 am to _____ (watched/watch) the morning news show.
5. After ____, (it /after that) I take a shower and ____(eat/have) breakfast.
6. I don’t like _____ (eaten/eating) omelette for breakfast as I _____(know/ prefer/hinder) eating a sandwich with a glass of milk.
7. A tiny baby bird _____(sitting/sits/sat) on the ground.
8. The baby ____(cry/cries/crying) out nervously. A squirrel is ____ (look/looks/looking) down at it from the branch of the tree.
9. If a cat _____ (saw/sees/see) the bird, it might ____(kill/killing/kills) it.
10. Tina _____ at a bakery. (work/works/working)
11. I _____ with my grandparents. (live/lives/living)
12. The cattle _____ on grass. (feed/feeds/feeding)
13. Emily _____ delicious pie. (make/makes/making)
14. Sumita ______ very fluent English. (speak/speaks/speaking)
15. Martin is _____ for a morning walk. (go/goes/going)
16. My father _____ (go/going/goes) to the temple every Tuesday.
17. Seema _____ 22 years old. (is/am/are)
18. I _____ (could/can) drink an entire sea right now as I _____ (am/are/is) so thirsty.
19. What _____ (is/are/will) your plans for the weekend?
20. _____ (do/does/are) you live in London?

Present Indefinite Tense Practice Exercise PDF

Also Read: Simple Past Tense Examples: Definition, Structure, Rules, Exercise PDF [Available]

Tips for Mastering the Present Indefinite Tense

1. Practice Regularly: Use the tense in daily conversations about routines and habits.
2. Focus on Subject-Verb Agreement: Always check whether the subject is singular or plural.
3. Use Time Expressions: Incorporate adverbs like “always,” “often,” and “rarely” for habitual actions.
4. Write Examples: Practice writing sentences for different scenarios.

Below, we have provided a Types of Tenses Chart to help you easily understand the different tenses in English. This chart offers a clear overview of the twelve tenses. Take a look!

Types of Tenses Chart
Past Tense	Present Tense	Future Tense
Simple Past Tense	Simple Present Tense	Simple Future Tense
Past Continuous Tense	Present Continuous Tense	Future Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense	Present Perfect Tense	Future Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense	Present Perfect Continuous Tense	Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Unreal (Third Conditional)	Present Unreal (Second Conditional)	Future Unreal (Mixed Conditional)

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FAQs on Present Indefinite Tense

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