Present Indefinite Tense Rules with Examples: Rohan still remembers that morning clearly. His school uniform was neatly pressed, his bag felt unusually heavy on his shoulders, and his heart was racing faster than usual because the English period always made him nervous. When the teacher asked him to speak about his daily routine, Rohan stood up with trembling hands. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words refused to come out correctly. “Ma’am… I am go to school every day,” he said softly. The class didn’t laugh loudly, but even those small giggles were enough to make him feel invisible. Rohan sat down, pretending to look into his notebook, while inside he felt embarrassed. He wasn’t careless or lazy—he simply didn’t know how to express his thoughts in English.
That day stayed with him. Rohan realised that his problem was not vocabulary or confidence, it is grammar—especially the tense he used while speaking. He could think clearly in his mind about his daily routine, but his sentences broke apart when he spoke aloud. Over time, with patient guidance from his teacher and daily practice, he slowly began to understand how simple rules could make his speech clear and confident. Each correct sentence gave him a little courage. The fear that once made his voice shake started to fade, and English slowly turned from a subject he feared into a skill he could actually use.
Table of Contents
Present Indefinite Tense Rules with Examples
Why Present Indefinite Tense is Important
When we speak about habits, routines, facts, and daily actions, we mostly use Present Indefinite Tense. It is the first tense we use in real life, not in exams—but in conversations.
- What you do every day
- What your parents do for work
- What students do in school
- What the sun does every morning
Remember if this tense is weak, your entire English foundation shakes.
What Is Present Indefinite Tense?
Present Indefinite Tense is used to talk about:
- Daily habits
- Regular actions
- General truths
- Permanent situations
It does not talk about what is happening right now. It talks about what usually happens.
When Rohan says, “I go to school every day.”
It means he is not talking about today only. He is talking about a habit.
When Do We Use Present Indefinite Tense?
Let me explain this like a teacher who has seen students struggle.
⭐ For Daily Habits that you do again and again.
- Rohan studies in the evening. (It means he studies every day in the evening)
- He plays cricket after school. (It means after returning from school he play cricket every day)
⭐ For General Truths or Universal Truth
- The sun rises in the east. (It is a universal truth because sun always rises from the east)
- Water boils at 100°C. (It is universal truth because water can not boil below 100°C)
⭐ For Permanent Facts, means facts that don’t change easily.
- Rohan lives in a small town.
- His father works in a bank.
⭐ For Timetables and Schedules
Even though they are about the future, we use present indefinite.
- The school opens at 8 a.m. (it means time is fixed for the opening of the school)
- The exam starts on Monday. (it is already scheduled that exam will be start from monday)
Structure (Formula) of Present Indefinite Tense
This is where most students panic—but don’t worry.
Affirmative (Positive) Structure
Subject + V1 (Base Verb) + Object
This one rule can save you from embarrassment.
Remember: If the subject is a third person singular number then s/es will be added with the verb. It Means
- With I, We, You, They → use base verb
- With He, She, It → add s / es to the verb
Positive Sentence Examples
- I study every night.
- We play football after school.
- You read English books.
- Rohan goes to school daily.
- His teacher teaches grammar patiently.
- I wake up early on weekdays.
- We respect our elders.
- You help your friends in need.
- Rohan completes his homework on time.
- The school follows strict discipline.
Negative Structure (This Is Where Students Get Confused)
I used to think we just add not anywhere. Wrong.
Negative Structure
Subject + do not / does not + V1 (base verb) + Object
🔴 Never add s/es in the verb here
- do not → with I, We, You, They
- does not → with He, She, It
Negative Sentence Examples
- I do not like maths.
- We do not watch TV on weekdays.
- You do not understand this rule yet.
- Rohan does not skip school.
- His sister does not wake up early.
- I do not forget my responsibilities.
- We do not waste time unnecessarily.
- You do not practice English daily.
- Rohan does not ignore his teachers.
- The class does not make noise during lessons.
👉 Common mistake students make:
❌ Rohan does not goes
✅ Rohan does not go
Interrogative Structure (Questions)
This part once scared me the most. But once you understand the logic, it becomes easy.
Interrogative Structure
Do / Does + Subject + V1 (base verb) + Object?
- Do → I, We, You, They
- Does → He, She, It
Again—base form of verb only.
Interrogative Sentence Examples
- Do you study every day?
- Do we have English today?
- Do they play cricket after school?
- Does Rohan complete his homework?
- Does his teacher explain clearly?
- Do you follow a daily routine?
- Do we understand this chapter properly?
- Do they respect school rules?
- Does Rohan revise before exams?
- Does the school conduct weekly tests?
Interrogative Sentence with WH-Questions (Very Important)
Many students make mistakes here because they mix tenses or forget the helping verb. WH-questions in Present Indefinite Tense follow a fixed and logical pattern.
WH-Question Structure
WH-word + do / does + subject + V1 (base verb) + Object?
- Use do with I, We, You, They
- Use does with He, She, It
- Verb always remains in base form
Common WH-Words Used
- What
- When
- Where
- Why
- How
- Who
WH-Question Examples
- What do you study after school?
- Where do you live?
- When do they play cricket?
- Why do you like English?
- How do you prepare for exams?
- What does Rohan read every morning?
- Where does Rohan go after school?
- Why does he practice grammar daily?
- How does his teacher explain the rules?
- When does the school start?
👉 Important reminder:
❌ Why does Rohan goes to school?
✅ Why does Rohan go to school?
Rohan’s Turning Point (And Mine Too)
One day, Rohan’s teacher didn’t scold him. She smiled and said:
“Rohan, English is not your enemy. Actually it is your fear.”
She taught him just three things:
- Who is the subject?
- Is it habit or fact?
- Is it he/she/it or not?
That’s it.
Rohan tried to make small sentences daily like:
- I wake up early.
- I revise grammar.
- I make mistakes and learn.
And slowly, his fear went away. I followed the same path. I stopped memorising rules and started using them.
Practical Advice From Experience
- Speak simple sentences daily
- Don’t translate from a local language like Bengali or Hindi to english in your mind because, It will confuse you more
- Make mistakes on purpose while practicing
- Focus on clarity, not perfection
Grammar improves with use, not fear.
Final Words
Present Indefinite Tense is not just a grammar rule. It is the language of our daily life. Once Rohan understood the present indefinite tense, he not only just scored better marks but also he spoke without fear. And like Rohan you can do too. Start small. Speak daily. Learn patiently. English is a skill, not a talent. You are not weak. You are just learning.
Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Form of Verb
- Rohan _____ to school every day. (go / goes / going)
Answer: goes - She _____ English grammar regularly. (study / studies / studying)
Answer: studies - They _____ cricket after school. (plays / play / playing)
Answer: play - The sun _____ in the east. (rise / rises / rising)
Answer: rises - We _____ our homework on time. (complete / completes / completing)
Answer: complete - He _____ early in the morning. (wake / wakes / waking)
Answer: wakes - My father _____ in a bank. (work / works / working)
Answer: works - Students _____ their teachers. (respect / respects / respecting)
Answer: respect - The teacher _____ the lesson clearly. (explain / explains / explaining)
Answer: explains - I _____ English every day. (practice / practices / practicing)
Answer: practice - Water _____ at 100°C. (boil / boils / boiling)
Answer: boils - She _____ her room daily. (clean / cleans / cleaning)
Answer: cleans - They _____ the school rules. (follow / follows / following)
Answer: follow - The train _____ at 7 a.m. (arrive / arrives / arriving)
Answer: arrives - Rohan _____ his parents. (obey / obeys / obeying)
Answer: obeys
