Practice
Simple present tense exercise: routines, facts, and questions
You want to describe your weekday: I get up at seven, my brother takes the bus, and our classes start at nine. These are simple present sentences. The tense helps you talk about what usually happens and what is generally true.
Use the simple present for routines and facts, add -s or -es with he, she, and it, and form clear negatives and questions.
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
works, watches, studies /wɜːks/, /ˈwɒtʃ.ɪz/, /ˈstʌd.iz/
The short answer
Use the simple present for something that happens regularly or is true in general. Write I work and they work, but he works, she works, and it works. Use do or does for most questions and negatives.
Mina studies English after dinner.
Why it works: This is her regular routine, so the sentence uses the simple present. Mina is one person, so study changes to studies.
5 more examples
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I walk to the library on Saturdays.
I refers to the speaker, so walk stays in its base form. On Saturdays shows a regular habit.
Not this:I
am walkingto the library now. What changes: Am walking describes an action in progress now. Walk describes the usual Saturday routine. -
My neighbour catches the early bus every morning.
My neighbour is one person, so catch takes -es. Every morning marks a repeated action.
Not this:My neighbours
catchthe early bus every morning. What changes: My neighbours is plural, so the verb returns to the base form catch. -
The café closes at five on Sundays.
The café is one thing, so close takes -s. The sentence gives a regular opening-hours schedule.
Not this:The cafés
closeat five on Sundays. What changes: Cafés is plural, so close has no final -s. -
We do not eat lunch at our desks.
We needs do not before the base verb eat to make a negative statement about a usual habit.
Not this:She
does not eatlunch at her desk. What changes: She needs does not, while eat remains in the base form after does. -
Does your course begin in October?
Does comes first to form a question with one course. Begin stays in the base form after does.
Not this:
Do your courses beginin October? What changes: Courses is plural, so the question uses do rather than does.
Read the full guide
First, ask whether the sentence describes a usual action or a general fact. Then find the subject. If the subject is he, she, it, or one person or thing, check whether the main verb needs -s, -es, or -ies. In questions and negatives, does carries that ending, so the main verb returns to its base form.
Choose the simple present for regular meaning
Use the simple present when something happens again and again, follows a timetable, or is true in general. It works well for daily routines, opening hours, and facts. The time phrase may be explicit, as in every Tuesday, or understood from the context.
The museum opens at ten and closes at six.
The museum opens at ten describes its normal timetable. The museum is opening now describes an event happening at this moment.
Match the verb to the subject
With I, you, we, and they, use the base verb: I cook, you cook, we cook, and they cook. With he, she, it, or one named person or thing, add the third-person ending: he cooks, she cooks, it cooks, and Amir cooks.
They play chess after class. Their teacher plays with them on Fridays.
Choose the correct form: My sister ___ to music while she studies.
Use listens: My sister listens to music while she studies. My sister is one person, so listen takes -s.
Spell the third-person ending carefully
Most verbs simply take -s: read becomes reads. Verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o usually take -es: pass becomes passes, wash becomes washes, watch becomes watches, fix becomes fixes, and go becomes goes. With a consonant plus y, change y to -ies: study becomes studies.
He washes the dishes, then he studies for an hour.
They wash the dishes and study for an hour. Plural they takes the base forms wash and study.
Build negatives with do and does
Put do not or don't before the base verb with I, you, we, and they. Put does not or doesn't before the base verb with he, she, it, and singular nouns. Does already marks the third person, so the following verb has no -s.
I don't drive to work. My friend doesn't drive to work either.
She doesn't drives is wrong because doesn't already contains the third-person form. Write She doesn't drive.
Ask questions with do and does
Start most simple present questions with do or does. Use do with I, you, we, and they. Use does with he, she, it, and singular nouns. Put the subject next, followed by the base verb.
Do you practise English at home? Does your friend practise English at home?
Which question is correct: Does the shop opens at nine, or Does the shop open at nine?
Use Does the shop open at nine? Does carries the third-person ending, so open stays in the base form.
Try a short routine check
Write three sentences about a normal week. Include one sentence with I or we, one with a singular person or thing, and one negative or question. Read each sentence again and check the subject before you check the verb ending.
I check my calendar on Sunday. Our lesson begins at eight. We do not meet on Saturday.
The three sentences show a first-person routine, a timetable with a singular subject, and a negative with we.
Before you go
Remember this
Use the simple present for routines, facts, and timetables. Match the verb to the subject: I work, they work, and she works. Use do or does for questions and negatives, then 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: routines, facts, and questions"
When do I use the simple present tense?
Use the simple present for routines, repeated actions, general facts, and regular schedules. For example, I walk to the library on Saturdays describes a habit, while The café closes at five gives normal opening hours.
I walk to the library on Saturdays.
Why does the verb have s with he, she, and it?
In the simple present, a singular third-person subject normally takes a verb ending in -s or -es. My neighbour catches the early bus uses catches because my neighbour is one person. Plural subjects use the base verb.
I am walking to the library now.
When do I add es instead of s in the simple present?
Add -es to many verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -o, as in catches and closes. With a consonant plus y, change y to -ies, so study becomes studies. Check the subject before choosing the ending.
My neighbour catches the early bus every morning.
Why is the main verb not followed by s after does?
Does already shows the singular third-person form, so the next verb stays in the base form. Say She does not eat lunch at her desk and Does your course begin in October, never does not eats or does begin with an added ending.
My neighbours catch the early bus every morning.
What is the difference between the simple present and present continuous?
The simple present describes a usual action or a fact, as in I walk to the library on Saturdays. The present continuous describes something happening now, as in I am walking to the library now. The time meaning decides which form fits.
The café closes at five on Sundays.
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