Present Simple Used for Timetables

In Diagram 3, you can see that the routine aspect of Present Simple can also relate to schedules or timetables, and you'll find this tense used very regularly when people talk about travel plans. Examples are: 

• My train leaves at 8am.
• His flight arrives at 10pm.
• My course runs from September to May. 

In this sense, the Present tense is used to express the idea that the timetable is factual.  My train is leaving in the future, but the timetable is current in the present.  For this reason, even though your Reference Point (R) is in the Future, the Present Simple is used:

Present Simple to Describe Routines

Remember, that even if you never do something, like eat meat or drink coffee, you still use the Present Simple because it is part of your routine - your regular experience of the world - that you don't do these things. It is a negative occurrence on a regular basis. The tense remains the same: I eat meat - I don't eat meat; She drinks coffee - She doesn't drink coffee.

Present Simple to Talk About The Senses

Present Simple is also used for actions involving our senses, or to talk about how you feel about things, either right now, or all the time. For example, I hear thunder, I smell coffee, I love chocolate, I hate the rain, I feel sick. This aspect of the Present Simple is covered in our section on Senses and Feelings.

Present Simple to Talk About The Future

Finally, it's important to remember that when we add information about time, this extends the reach of Present Simple. This allows us to use this tense to talk about things that will happen in the future, such as a train that leaves tomorrow morning (Diagram 3). Our section on Locations in Time covers this aspect of the Present Simple.