Simple Present Tense | Examples, Use & Worksheet

Published on March 20, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on September 25, 2023.

The simple present tense is a verb form used to talk about habits, unchanging situations, facts, and planned events in the near future.

The simple present tense of most verbs is the infinitive form (e.g., “sing”). However, the third person singular (e.g., “he,” “she,” and “it”) takes an “s” at the end of the verb (e.g., “write” becomes “writes”).

Simple present tense forms

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Continually vs. Continuously | Difference, Examples & Quiz

Published on March 16, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on July 24, 2024.

Continually and continuously are related words, but they have slightly different meanings.

  • Continually is an adverb meaning “frequently” or “regularly.”
  • Continuously is an adverb meaning “constantly” or “without interruption.”
    Examples: Continually in a sentence Examples: Continuously in a sentence
    The privacy policy is updated continually. Humans breathe continuously.
    I continually lose my keys. Martin complained continuously for twenty minutes.

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    Conditional Sentences | Examples & Use

    Published on March 14, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on September 11, 2023.

    A conditional sentence refers to a hypothetical situation and its possible consequence.

    Conditional sentences always contain a subordinate clause that expresses a condition (e.g., “If it snows tomorrow”) and a main clause indicating the outcome of this condition (e.g., “school will be canceled”).

    There are four main types of conditionals in English, each of which expresses a specific level of likelihood or possibility.

    Types of conditional sentences

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    Council vs. Counsel | Difference, Examples & Quiz

    Published on March 14, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

    Counsel and council are pronounced the same, but they have different (though related) meanings.

    • Counsel is a verb meaning “advise” and a noun meaning “advice” or “instruction.” It can also be used as a noun to refer to a lawyer.
    • Council is a noun referring to an advisory or legislative body of people.
      Examples: Counsel in a sentence Examples: Council in a sentence
      Amara counsels people who are grieving. The theater is funded by the national arts council.
      John sought counsel from his defense attorney. The council is responsible for the upkeep of the public park.

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      Insure vs. Ensure vs. Assure | Difference, Examples & Quiz

      Published on March 9, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on August 22, 2023.

      Insure, ensure, and assure are related verbs with different meanings.

      • Insure means “protect against loss, damage, or injury” or “provide or obtain insurance on.”
      • Ensure means “make certain that something will occur.”
      • Assure means “convince” or “give confidence to.”
        Examples: Insure in a sentence Examples: Ensure in a sentence Example: Assure in a sentence
        If you don’t insure your car, you can’t drive it! Another touchdown will ensure victory. I assure you that I’ll be on my best behavior.
        Rafi plans to insure his house. To ensure her safety, Mia practices self-defense. Can you assure me that the vault is secure?

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        Into vs. In To | Difference, Examples & Quiz

        Published on March 8, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

        Into and in to are pronounced the same, but they have different grammatical functions.

        • Into is a preposition used to indicate entry, insertion, collision, or transformation. It can also be used to say that someone is interested in or involved with something. Write “into” as one word when you mean it in one of these senses.
        • In to is a combination of two separate words: the prepositions “in” and “to.” The words should remain separate when the sense is separate. For example, in the phrase “call in to see you,” the phrasal verb “call in” is separate from the infinitive verb phrase “to see you.”
          Examples: Into in a sentence Examples: In to in a sentence
          Una turned her hobby into a business. She turned the report in to her boss.
          The principal stormed into the classroom.

          Amanda is really into stamp collecting.

          		 Everyone chipped in to pay for gas.

          My grandmother tunes in to the news at 6 p.m. every day.

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          *Despite Of | Meaning, Spelling & Use

          Published on March 2, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on October 5, 2023.

          Despite is a preposition meaning “regardless of,” “even though,” or “notwithstanding.”

          Because the prepositions despite and in spite of mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably, people sometimes mistakenly combine the words and write “despite of.” However, this is never correct.

          Examples: Despite of, despite and in spite of
          • Despite of the tasteless humor, I enjoyed the film.
          • Despite the tasteless humor, I enjoyed the film.
          • In spite of the tasteless humor, I enjoyed the film.

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          Despite vs. In Spite of | Difference, Examples & Use

          Published on March 2, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

          Despite and in spite of are both prepositions meaning “regardless of,” “even though,” or “notwithstanding.” They can be used interchangeably.

          • Despite is always written as one word (never “despite of“).
          • In spite of is always written as three words (never “inspite of”).
          Examples: Despite and in spite of in a sentence
          Despite/in spite of his bad behavior, the child was not grounded.

          People lined up outside the store, despite/in spite of the weather.

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          Imperative Mood | Definition, Examples & Use

          Published on March 1, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

          The imperative mood is a verb form used to make a demand or to give advice or instructions (e.g., “slow down!”).

          The imperative mood is one of three grammatical moods in English, along with the indicative mood and the subjunctive mood.

          Sentences in the imperative mood imply a second-person subject (i.e., “you”), but they normally don’t actually include the word “you” or any other subject.

          Examples: Imperative mood sentences
          Stop!

          Don’t touch!

          Go to your room.

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          Among vs. Between | Difference, Examples & Quiz

          Published on February 28, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

          Among and between are two prepositions that are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have different meanings.

          • Among means “surrounded by” or “in the company of.” It’s normally followed by a plural noun.
          • Between refers to the space that separates two or more distinct things or to the interval that separates two or more distinct times. It’s normally followed by a series of two or more singular nouns.
            Examples: Among in a sentence Examples: Between in a sentence
            The thief hid among the wandering tourists. The coffee shop is between the post office and the bank.
            Alicia is happy when she’s among friends. Paul works between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day.

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