Present Simple:
1. Introduction
The Present Simple tense is one of the most common tenses in English. It is used to talk about:
Habits or routines: "I drink coffee every morning."
General facts: "The sun rises in the east."
Permanent situations: "She lives in London."
Scheduled events: "The train leaves at 6 PM."
2. Formation
Affirmative Form
Subject + Base Verb (add -s for he/she/it)
Subject Verb Example Sentence Example
I / You / We / They work "I work in an office."
He / She / It works "She works every day."
Negative Form
Subject + do/does not + Base Verb
Subject Negative Form Sentence Example
I / You / We / They do not (don’t) + work "They don’t work here."
He / She / It does not (doesn’t) + work "He doesn’t work here."
Interrogative Form
Do/Does + Subject + Base Verb?
Question Type Sentence Example
Yes/No Questions "Do you work here?"
"Does she like coffee?"
Wh- Questions "Where do they live?"
"What does he do?"
3. Rules and Exceptions
Adding -s for He/She/It
1. Most verbs: Add -s. (e.g., "play" → "plays")
2. Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -x, -ss, -o: Add -es. (e.g., "watch" → "watches")
3. Verbs ending in consonant + -y: Change -y to -ies. (e.g., "study" → "studies")
Irregular Verbs: "To Be"
Affirmative: I am, You are, He/She/It is, We/You/They are
Negative: I am not, You are not, etc.
Questions: Am I? Are you? Is he/she/it?
4. Examples
Affirmative
"She walks to school every day."
"We eat dinner at 7 PM."
Negative
"He doesn’t like spicy food."
"They don’t watch TV often."
Interrogative
"Do you play basketball?"
"Does he know the answer?"
5. Practice Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
1. She _______ (go) to the gym every morning.
2. They _______ (not/watch) TV after dinner.
3. _______ you _______ (like) chocolate?
B. Rewrite the sentences as instructed.
1. (Negative) He reads books every night.
2. (Question) They live in New York.
C. Open-ended Questions
1. What do you do on weekends?
2. Where does your best friend live?
Keep practicing to master the Present Simple!