How and when to use the Present Simple Tense in English

To describe present truths
The present simple is used to describe something which is currently true (something that is true at the present time).

The present simple is used with almost 100% certainty in virtually any conversation where one is describing another person, place or thing. This becomes especially evident when one is describing a friend to another person who has not met them. Or, for example, in describing a country someone is about to visit. Someone describing (Ireland to a friend who has never been there would most definitely employ the present simple Ireland is a beautiful country, The fields are incredibly green, The Irish play lots of music, etc.).

Examples
I study physics at the University of Kentucky.
My sister works in Edinburgh.
My friend is a teacher.
Anthony plays football for a club.
Of course, one must be careful to use the correct verb conjugations. We will touch more on this when we discuss the present simple’s structure and formation.

2 Repeated actions and habits
The present simple is also used to describe actions which occur with a regular frequency in a general way.

Using the present simple in this case implies that the action is habitual; therefore, these types of verbal phrases involving the present simple are often accompanied by the phrase every + (week, day, month, hour, Thursday, etc.). This is not to say that such a phrase is always necessary.

Examples
Mike eats Mexican food every Thursday.
I drive to work every day.
We harvest pumpkins every autumn.
Julie drinks coffee in the afternoon.

As stated above, the every… phrase is not always necessary. Some phrases which denote a certain moment or span of time do not require a marker such as every. In Example 4, it is stated that Julie drinks coffee in the afternoon. In this sentence the every is implied, as drinking coffee is typically a habitual action (given the nature of the substance). Depending on the situation, though it is less common, the every can be implied. Nevertheless, it is acceptable to use directly in most cases.

3 Something that is always true
When something is indisputably, always true, one may use the present simple to describe its occurrence. In this case, the present simple is a way to simply state a reality that never changes and is total in nature.

Examples
Guitars require regular tuning.
Grizzly bears are extremely dangerous.
Exercise is tiresome.
Traveling to Europe is expensive.

In this type of grammatical situation, the verb to be is commonly used, since it implies an essential nature, an essential way of being, that never changes. Other verbs that are often used, such as require, imply a constancy of action through necessity. Guitars need to be tuned to function properly; therefore, they require regular tuning.

4 A fixed future event
When describing a set future event, one can use the present simple to convey the certainty and rigidity with which that event is anticipated. Essentially, one must believe that that event will surely happen, and then use the present simple to describe that projected future event as a truth.

Examples
The movie begins at 19:00.
I start work in August.
We move to Sydney next year.
The new album debuts this week.

In short, the present simple is the easiest, fastest way to describe something that is foreseen with certainty without having to use more complicated future tenses, which we will touch on later. For the lazy or pressed for time, the present simple is the way to go!

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