Tenses · CEFR A2 · Everyday
Present Simple for timetables — English tenses
Trains, flights, films and meetings on a timetable take the present simple even for tomorrow, because a timetable is a fact rather than a plan.
The shape
present simple + a future time
Talk about trains, flights and start times.
In Hindi
ट्रेन, फ़्लाइट और तय समय-सारणी वाली चीज़ों के लिए, कल की बात भी present simple में कही जाती है।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
The train will leave at six tomorrow. | The train leaves at six tomorrow. A timetable is a fact, so it takes the present simple. |
Learn these first
These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
Questions people ask
- What is the present simple for timetables used for?
- Trains, flights, films and meetings on a timetable take the present simple even for tomorrow, because a timetable is a fact rather than a plan. In practice: talk about trains, flights and start times.
- How do you form the present simple for timetables?
- present simple + a future time.
- What is the most common mistake with the present simple for timetables?
- Saying “The train will leave at six tomorrow.” instead of “The train leaves at six tomorrow.”. A timetable is a fact, so it takes the present simple.
Where present simple for timetables fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Present Simple for timetables is a CEFR A2 structure — the everyday band — and it belongs to tenses. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
Practise the present simple for timetables →