What is the Present Simple?
The present simple expresses:
- Habits and routines: She walks to school every day.
- General facts and truths: Water boils at 100 °C.
- Permanent situations: I live in London.
- Scheduled events: The train leaves at 9 am.
Form
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | play | do not (don't) play | Do … play? |
| He / She / It | plays | does not (doesn't) play | Does … play? |
Spelling rules for -s/-es
| Verb ending | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| consonant + y | change y → ie + s | study → studies |
| -ch, -sh, -x, -o, -s | add -es | watch → watches |
| most others | add -s | run → runs |
Time expressions
always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every day/week, on Mondays
- 1
Choose the subject
I / you / we / they OR he / she / it? - 2
Use base form or add -s/-es
he/she/it → add -s/-es to the base verb. - 3
Negatives: use do/does + not + base verb
She doesn't like coffee. - 4
Questions: put Do/Does before the subject
Do they play sport? Does he work here?
Transform: (she / go / to the gym / every Monday)
She goes to the gym every Monday.
Make negative: He likes spicy food.
He doesn't like spicy food.
Real world: train timetable
The train leaves London at 08:14 and arrives in Birmingham at 09:32. Platform 3 opens at 07:45.
Real world: science textbook
Water boils at 100 °C and freezes at 0 °C. The Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 days.
Real world: daily routine (diary entry)
I get up at 7 am, have breakfast, and take the bus to school. My sister starts work at 9 o'clock and finishes at 5 pm.
Practice Problems
Write the correct form: They (watch) TV every evening.
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Write the correct form: She (study) French at school.
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Make a question: He works in a bank.
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Make a negative: We play football on Fridays.