Hello English learners and teachers! This is a collection of the best exercises on the topic of the present simple vs. the present to be that I have encountered around the web in my years of teaching English. My students complete these exercises regularly as homework based on their level; their grammar improves and they thrive!
If you find any mistakes, have additional exercises to recommend, or if you would like any text added to the “Notes” column, let me know!
Fondly,
Your English Coach
| Exercise | Website name | Length | Type of exercise | Difficulty | Link | Notes |
Present simple vs. to-be |
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| Present to be vs. present simple -- negative | english-4u | 15 | Conjugate in sentence | 1 | https://www.english-4u.de/en/tenses-exercises/present-simple.htm | 2/15 be |
| Present to be vs. present simple -- negative | englisch-hilfen | 10 | Convert negative to positive with sentence context | 2 | https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_present_negation_sentences.htm | Accepts long AND contracted forms |
| Present to be vs. present simple -- negative | englisch-hilfen | 10 | Convert negative to positive with sentence context | 2 | https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_present_negation_sentences2.htm | Accepts long AND contracted forms |
| Present to be vs. present simple -- questions | perfect-english-grammar | 20 | Fill in do, does, are, is | 2 | https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/do-does-am-is-are-exercise-1.html | HARD BUT IMPORTANT EXERCISE! |
| Present to be vs. present simple -- questions | learnenglish-online | 10 | Fill in do, does, are, is | 3 | http://www.learnenglish-online.com/grammar/tests/whquestions2.html | #2 can be read as a future/timetabled use of the present, but it can also apply to habitual use of the present simple. HARD BUT IMPORTANT EXERCISE!!! |
| Present to be vs. present simple -- questions | learnenglish-online | 10 | Fill in do, does, are, is | 2 | http://www.learnenglish-online.com/grammar/tests/whquestions3.html | HARD BUT IMPORTANT EXERCISE! |
| Present to be vs. present simple -- mixed sentence types | perfect-english-grammar | 20 | Form the sentence type correctly + conjugate | 1 | https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-simple-exercise-16.html | |
| Present to be vs. present simple -- mixed sentence types | perfect-english-grammar | 20 | Form the sentence type correctly + conjugate | 1 | https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-simple-exercise-16.html | . |
A few notes about the table structure:
Length — Indicates the number of questions in the exercise.
Difficulty — Indicates the relative difficulty of the exercises among those mentioned here
Notes — Any errors or sub-topics are indicated here.
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