Present simple

The present simple is for habits, routines and facts: things that happen regularly or are always true. ⟦I play football every Saturday.⟧ ⟦Water boils at 100 °C.⟧ With ⟦he⟧, ⟦she⟧ and ⟦it⟧ (one person or thing), the verb takes ⟦-s⟧. Questions and negatives use ⟦do⟧ or ⟦does⟧.

Key facts

  • ⟦I⟧, ⟦you⟧, ⟦we⟧, ⟦they⟧: the verb has no ending: ⟦They live in Cairo.⟧
  • ⟦He⟧, ⟦she⟧, ⟦it⟧ (and one person or thing): add ⟦-s⟧: ⟦She lives in Cairo.⟧
  • Verbs ending in ⟦o⟧, ⟦ch⟧, ⟦sh⟧, ⟦s⟧ or ⟦x⟧ add ⟦-es⟧: ⟦go → goes⟧, ⟦watch → watches⟧. A consonant then ⟦y⟧: ⟦study → studies⟧. ⟦have → has⟧.
  • Negatives: ⟦don't⟧ or ⟦doesn't⟧ + the verb with no ⟦-s⟧: ⟦He doesn't like tea.⟧
  • Questions: ⟦Do⟧ or ⟦Does⟧ + subject + verb with no ⟦-s⟧: ⟦Does she speak English?⟧
  • Time words that often go with it: ⟦every day⟧, ⟦usually⟧, ⟦always⟧, ⟦never⟧, ⟦on Mondays⟧.

Worked examples

Example 1

Complete: ⟦My sister ___ (watch) cartoons after school.⟧

  1. The subject is ⟦my sister⟧: one person, like ⟦she⟧. So the verb takes an ending.
  2. ⟦Watch⟧ ends in ⟦ch⟧, so it takes ⟦-es⟧.
  3. ⟦My sister watches cartoons after school.⟧

Answer: ⟦watches⟧

Example 2

Make it negative: ⟦Omar drinks coffee.⟧

  1. ⟦Omar⟧ is one person (⟦he⟧), so we use ⟦doesn't⟧ (⟦does not⟧).
  2. After ⟦doesn't⟧ the verb loses its ⟦-s⟧: ⟦drinks → drink⟧.
  3. ⟦Omar doesn't drink coffee.⟧

Answer: ⟦Omar doesn't drink coffee.⟧

Example 3

Put the words in order: ⟦you / like / do / apples⟧

  1. A present simple question starts with ⟦Do⟧ or ⟦Does⟧. With ⟦you⟧ we use ⟦Do⟧.
  2. Then the subject, then the verb, then the rest: ⟦Do⟧ + ⟦you⟧ + ⟦like⟧ + ⟦apples⟧.
  3. A question ends with a question mark: ⟦Do you like apples?⟧

Answer: ⟦Do you like apples?⟧