Practice
Simple present tense exercise 3: choose the correct verb form
I have a break at noon, but Maya has hers at one. One small change in the subject can change the verb you need.
Choose accurate simple present verb forms with I, you, we, they, he, she, and it.
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 has a busy day. /ʃiː hæz ə ˈbɪzi deɪ/
The short answer
Use the base verb with I, you, we, and they. With he, she, and it, add -s or -es to most ordinary verbs. Learn the separate forms of be, do, and have: she is, she does, and she has.
My brother watches the news, but I watch it online.
Why it works: Brother is third-person singular, so watches ends in -es. I takes the base form watch.
5 more examples
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I do my homework after dinner.
I takes the form do in a positive simple present sentence.
Not this:I
doesmy homework after dinner. What changes: Does does not agree with I in this positive sentence. -
Nora has two younger cousins.
Nora is one person, so have changes to has.
Not this:Nora
havetwo younger cousins. What changes: Use has with one named person, he, she, or it. -
The library closes at six on Saturdays.
Library is singular, and close takes -s in the simple present.
Not this:The library
closeat six on Saturdays. What changes: The base form does not agree with the singular subject library here. -
They are ready for the meeting.
They takes are, not is or am.
Not this:They
isready for the meeting. What changes: Is is the form for he, she, it, or one singular noun. -
Does your train stop at Central Station?
Does agrees with the singular noun train, while stop remains in the base form.
Not this:Does your train
stopsat Central Station? What changes: After does, do not add -s to the main verb.
Read the full guide
Before choosing a verb, find the subject. Is it I, you, we, or they? Or is it one person, one thing, he, she, or it? That answer usually tells you which simple present form belongs in the sentence.
Start by finding the subject
The subject tells you who or what performs the action or has the state. Find it before you look at the verb. A pronoun can make this easy, but a noun phrase may take more care.
My neighbours work from home on Mondays.
Neighbours is plural, so use the base form work.
My neighbour works from home on Mondays.
Neighbour is singular, so works takes the third-person singular ending.
What is the subject in The manager checks the schedule every morning?
The manager. It is one person, so checks is the correct form.
Use the base verb with I, you, we, and they
Most simple present sentences use the base form. Use it with I, you, we, and they. The base form is the dictionary form without to.
We meet our tutor on Thursday evenings.
We is plural, so meet has no -s ending.
You speak very clearly in class.
You takes speak, whether you are speaking to one person or more than one person.
Choose the verb: They ___ lunch at the office. eat or eats?
Use eat. They takes the base form.
Add the third-person singular ending
With he, she, it, one person, or one thing, most ordinary verbs take -s. Verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o usually take -es. A consonant plus y changes to -ies.
Sam fixes bicycles at the weekend.
Fix ends in -x, so the singular form is fixes.
Her daughter carries a water bottle to school.
Carry changes y to ies after a consonant.
Complete the sentence: The shop ___ at nine. open or opens?
Use opens because the shop is singular.
Check be separately
Be does not follow the normal base-verb pattern. Learn its present forms as a set: I am, you are, we are, they are, he is, she is, and it is.
I am early for my appointment.
Only I takes am.
The instructions are on the first page.
Instructions is plural, so use are.
Which form completes The coffee ___ too hot?
Use is. Coffee is treated as a singular noun here.
Check do and have separately
Do and have also change with he, she, and it. Use do and have with I, you, we, and they. Use does and has with singular third-person subjects.
Our class has a short break at eleven.
Class is one group in this sentence, so it takes has.
Do your friends live nearby?
Friends is plural, so the question begins with do.
Choose the natural sentence: He have a key or He has a key?
Use He has a key. Has agrees with he.
Keep the main verb in the base form after do or does
In a question or negative, do and does carry the agreement. The main verb stays in the base form. This is why Does she work? is correct, while Does she works? is not.
He does not drive to work.
Does agrees with he. Drive stays in the base form after does not.
Do they need more time?
Do agrees with they, and need stays in the base form.
Complete the question: Does Mia ___ coffee? drink or drinks?
Use drink. Does already marks the singular subject Mia.
Before you go
Remember this
Find the subject before you choose the verb. Use the base verb with I, you, we, and they. Use the third-person singular form with he, she, it, a name, or one thing. Treat be, do, and have as special forms worth checking separately.
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 3: choose the correct verb form"
When do I use the simple present in English?
Use it for routines and facts. For example, I take the bus on weekdays describes a regular routine. It usually does not describe an action happening only now.
I do my homework after dinner.
Why does a verb end in s with he, she, or it?
In the simple present, most ordinary verbs add s with a singular third-person subject. The library closes at six because library is one thing.
I does my homework after dinner.
What are the simple present forms of be?
Use am with I, are with you, we, and they, and is with he, she, it, or one singular noun. For example, They are ready for the meeting.
Nora has two younger cousins.
When do I use has instead of have?
Use has with he, she, it, or a singular noun. Nora has two younger cousins because Nora is one person. Use have with I, you, we, and they.
Nora have two younger cousins.
Why is the main verb not plural after does?
Does already shows third-person singular agreement in a question or negative. Say Does your train stop at Central Station? The main verb stays stop, not stops.
The library closes at six on Saturdays.
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