Remember this!
The present tense form of 'playing' is play or plays. Example: He plays soccer every weekend with his friends. (He plays soccer every weekend with his friends.)
Definition of “play”
- engaging in an activity for enjoyment or recreation
- performing on a musical instrument
- participating in a sport or game
Tense sentence structure and examples:
Notes from a Native English Speaker
Here are the general structures of a present and past participle. Remember, some verbs have an irregular form and may not follow this structure: Present Participle: [Verb] -ing Past Participle: [Verb] -ed
| Present Simple | play |
| Present Continuous | playing |
| Present Perfect | played |
Example
She plays the piano every day.
Example
They play video games in their free time.
Example
I am playing chess with my brother.
Example
They are playing basketball at the park.
Example
She has played the violin since she was a child.
Example
They have played soccer for many years.
play Subject-Verb Agreement
Notes from a Native English Speaker
Subject-verb agreement means that a subject and its verb match. They’re either both plural or both singular. A singular subject takes a singular verb. - Example: The cat is sleeping. A plural subject takes a plural verb. - Example: The cats are sleeping.
| Singular First Person (I) | play |
| Singular Second Person (You) | play |
| Singular Third Person (He/She/It) | plays |
| Plural (We/You/They) | play |
Example
I play the guitar.
Example
You play basketball.
Example
He plays the piano.
Example
She plays soccer.
Example
It plays the drums.
Example
We play board games.
Example
You play tennis.
Example
They play video games.
