The simple present tense

 

The simple present tense is used for two main types of action:

 

Habits

Actions which happen regularly (every day, every week, etc.)

States

Things which do not often change (opinions, conditions, etc.)

 

Some examples will help to make this clearer:

 

Type of action

Examples

Explanations

Habit

Young-Mi goes to class every day.

"Every day" is a habit.

It rains a lot in Vancouver.

This means that it rains often.

Santos always talks about his family.

"Always" means this is a habit.

Jerry spends Christmas with his parents.

This implies that he spends Christmas with his parents every year.

State

Bianca lives in Florida.

This is a state, because it doesn't change.

Jean-Paul has red hair.

Someone's hair colour doesn't usually change.

Martin likes chocolate.

When we like something, usually we will always like it.

Anna believes in God.

Beliefs and opinions are states. They don't often change.

The simple present tense is often confused with the present continuous tense.