Practice
Simple present tense exercise 2: use routines and facts correctly
Sam works at home on Mondays, but he does not work there every day. The same tense can describe his usual routine and say when the routine does not happen.
Use the simple present accurately in affirmative statements, negatives, and questions about routines, facts, and regular schedules.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
She watches the news every evening. /ʃiː ˈwɒtʃɪz ðə njuːz ˈevri ˈiːvnɪŋ/
The short answer
Use the simple present for habits, schedules, and facts. Add -s or -es after he, she, and it in affirmative sentences; use do or does plus the base verb in negatives and questions.
The pharmacy opens at eight and closes at six.
Why it works: The opening hours are a regular schedule, so opens and closes are simple-present forms.
5 more examples
-
My brother catches the early bus every weekday.
My brother is one person, so catch becomes catches in this routine.
Not this:My brothers
catch the early busevery weekday. What changes: Brothers is plural, so the verb stays in the base form. -
The museum does not admit visitors after five o'clock.
Does not carries the singular grammar, so admit stays in the base form.
Not this:The museum
admits visitorsuntil five o'clock. What changes: Without does, the singular noun museum needs admits. -
Do your friends play football after school?
Friends is plural, so the question begins with do and uses base-form play.
Not this:
Does your friend playfootball after school? What changes: Friend is singular, so use does but keep play in the base form. -
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.
This sentence states a general fact, so it uses the simple present.
Not this:The water
is boilingin the kettle now. What changes: This describes a process happening now, so it uses the present continuous. -
Our class studies English on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Class is singular here. Study changes to studies after a consonant plus y.
Not this:The students
study Englishon Tuesday and Thursday evenings. What changes: Students is plural, so study does not take an ending.
Read the full guide
First, decide whether the sentence is about a pattern or a fact. Then find the subject. A singular subject such as my sister, the train, or it usually needs a verb ending in an affirmative sentence. If you see does, remove that ending from the main verb.
Find a routine, schedule, or fact
A simple-present sentence often answers a general question: What usually happens? What is the regular timetable? What is true in general? Time expressions such as every Friday, usually, and at weekends can help, but a sentence can use the tense without them.
The delivery van arrives before lunch every weekday.
Every weekday shows that the arrival is a regular schedule, not one delivery happening now.
Which idea points to a simple-present sentence: a usual journey or one journey happening now?
A usual journey. The simple present describes the repeated pattern.
Match an affirmative verb to its subject
With I, you, we, and they, use the base verb: I read, they read. With he, she, it, and a singular noun, add -s or -es: she reads, the machine runs. Look at the subject before choosing the verb.
Lina checks the timetable before she leaves home.
Lina is singular, so check becomes checks.
Lina and Omar check the timetable before they leave home.
Lina and Omar is plural, so check stays in the base form.
Complete the sentence: The printer ___ when it has enough paper. (work)
The printer works when it has enough paper. Printer is singular, so add -s.
Use the right third-person ending
Most singular verbs simply add -s: reads, cooks, and walks. Add -es after many verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o: passes, washes, watches, fixes, and goes. Change a final y to ies when a consonant comes before it: try becomes tries.
Her father fixes bicycles in his garage.
Fix ends in -x, so it takes -es after the singular subject.
The baby cries when she is tired.
Cry changes to cries because a consonant comes before y.
Choose the correct form: The train go or the train goes?
The train goes. Go takes -es with a singular subject.
Make negatives with do not and does not
Use do not with I, you, we, and they. Use does not with he, she, it, and singular nouns. The main verb after do not or does not is always the base form. Do not write does not starts or does not works.
We do not eat lunch at our desks.
We takes do not, followed by the base verb eat.
The shop does not open on public holidays.
Does not is followed by open, not opens.
Correct this sentence: My cousin does not drives to work.
My cousin does not drive to work. Does not already marks the singular form, so drive stays unchanged.
Ask questions with do and does
Put do or does before the subject when you ask most simple-present questions. Use do for I, you, we, and they. Use does for he, she, it, and singular nouns. After either helper, use a base verb.
Do you take the train to work?
You takes do, and take stays in the base form.
Does the café serve breakfast on Sundays?
Café is singular, so the question uses does and base-form serve.
Choose the correct question: Does she needs help or Does she need help?
Does she need help? After does, use need, not needs.
Separate normal patterns from actions now
Compare the meaning before you choose a tense. The simple present describes what is normal: Amir reads before bed. The present continuous describes an activity in progress: Amir is reading in the garden now. The verb can be the same, but the time focus changes.
The children play outside after school.
This describes their normal after-school routine.
The children are playing outside at the moment.
At the moment moves the focus to the activity in progress.
Which form fits right now: She writes emails or She is writing emails?
She is writing emails. Right now signals an action in progress.
Before you go
Remember this
Use the simple present for repeated actions, regular schedules, and general facts. In affirmative sentences, check whether the subject is he, she, it, or one singular noun. In questions and negatives, choose do or does and keep the main verb in its base form.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Simple present tense exercise 2: use routines and facts correctly"
When should I use the simple present tense?
Use the simple present for repeated actions, regular schedules, and general facts. The pharmacy opens at eight describes its normal timetable, while an event happening now usually needs a present-continuous form.
My brother catches the early bus every weekday.
Why does a simple-present verb end in s?
In an affirmative statement, he, she, it, and a singular noun usually need a verb ending. My brother catches the early bus has catches because my brother is one person; my brothers catch uses a plural subject.
My brothers catch the early bus every weekday.
How do I make a negative sentence in the simple present?
Use do not or does not before the base verb. The museum does not admit visitors after five uses does not because museum is singular, and admit does not take an additional ending.
The museum does not admit visitors after five o'clock.
How do I ask a simple-present question?
Start most questions with do or does, then use the subject and the base verb. Do your friends play football uses do for a plural subject, while does is used with one person or thing.
The museum admits visitors until five o'clock.
What is the difference between simple present and present continuous?
The simple present states a routine or fact, while the present continuous focuses on an action in progress. Water boils at sea level is a general fact; the water is boiling in the kettle refers to a current situation.
Do your friends play football after school?
Questions & comments
Ask about this lesson, share an example, or help another learner.
