A: What do you do?

B: I'm a teacher.

A: What do you teach?

B: I teach math.

Form

Positive Sentences

I
You
We
They		 drink coffee in the morning.
read the newspaper every day.
play baseball in the summer.
walk around the park every evening.
take the bus to school.
listen to music a lot.
He
She
It		 drinks coffee in the morning.
reads the newspaper every day.
plays baseball in the summer.
walks around the park every evening.
takes the bus to school.
listens to music a lot.

Negative Sentences

I
You
We
They		 do not
don't		 drink coffee in the morning.
read the newspaper every day.
play baseball in the summer.
walk around the park every evening.
take the bus to school.
listen to music a lot.
He
She
It		 does not
doesn't

Yes or No Questions

Do I
you
we
they		 drink coffee in the morning? 
read the newspaper every day? 
play baseball in the summer? 
walk around the park every evening? 
take the bus to school? 
listen to music a lot?
Does he
she
it

Short Answers

Do you drink coffee in the morning?

  • Yes, I do.
  • No, I don't.

Do they play baseball in the summer?

  • Yes, they do.
  • No, they don't.

Does he take the bus to school?

  • Yes, he does.
  • No, he doesn't.

Does she listen to music a lot?

  • Yes, she does.
  • No, she doesn't.

Questions with Question Words

Where
When
What
Why
Who
How		 do I
you
we
they		 study?
does he
she
it
 

Spelling of Verbs in Present Simple

Usually we add an s to the verb for he / she / it. Some verbs are different:

Rule #1

If a verb ends in x, sh or ch, add es:

  • fix → fixes
  • finish → finishes
  • watch → watches

Rule #2

If the verb ends with a consonant + y, change y to ies:

  • fly → flies
  • study → studies

Rule #3

If the verb ends with a vowel + y, only add s:

  • play → plays
  • say → says

Rule #4

Go becomes goes, and do become does:

  • go → goes
  • do → does

Use

English speakers use the present simple to describe:

Habits & Routines

I always get up early in the morning.

She doesn’t drink coffee.

He checks his email after work.

Facts

Some facts are always true:

Alarm clocks wake people up.

Penguins don't fly.

Others are true for a long time:

I work at this school.

She lives in the city.

He plays the piano.

Adverb Placement

We often use adverbs of frequency with the present simple tense:

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverb Frequency
always 100%
usually 90%
often 75%
sometimes 50%
occasionally 30%
rarely / seldom 20%
never 0%

Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb in present simple sentences:

I always take a shower in the morning.

We sometimes eat pizza for dinner.

Chris never calls me. He always texts.

If the main verb of a sentence is be, adverbs of frequency go after it:

He is often sick.

It's always windy in this city.

Exercise

Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.

Exercise

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