Simple Present

The simple present is used for habits, routines, facts, and general truths.

Formation

Affirmative

Subject	Verb
I / You / We / They	work
He / She / It	works

Examples:

I work in an office.
She works in a hospital.
They live in London.
He lives in Paris.

Third-Person Singular Rules (-s/-es/-ies)

Add -s:

work → works
read → reads
play → plays

Add -es (after -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o):

go → goes
do → does
watch → watches
wash → washes
miss → misses
fix → fixes

Change -y to -ies (after consonant + y):

study → studies
try → tries
fly → flies

But: play → plays (vowel + y)

Negative

Use do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t):

Subject	Negative
I / You / We / They	don’t work
He / She / It	doesn’t work

Examples:

I don’t like coffee.
She doesn’t eat meat.
They don’t live here.

Questions

Use do or does:

Question	Answer
Do you work here?	Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Does she live here?	Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.

Wh-questions:

Where do you work?
What does he do?
When do they arrive?

When to Use Simple Present

1. Habits and Routines

I wake up at 7 every morning.
She goes to the gym three times a week.
They have dinner at 8 pm.

2. Facts and General Truths

Water boils at 100°C.
The sun rises in the east.
Cats sleep a lot.

3. Permanent Situations

I live in Berlin.
She works for Google.
He speaks three languages.

4. Schedules and Timetables

The train leaves at 9:00.
The movie starts at 7:30.
The shop opens at 10.

5. Instructions and Directions

You go straight and then turn left.
First, you add the flour, then you mix it.

6. Sportscasting and Storytelling (vivid present)

He passes to Müller, Müller shoots… Goal!
So she walks into the room and says…

Time Expressions

Common adverbs with simple present:

always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never
every day/week/month/year
once/twice a week
on Mondays, in the morning

Position:

I always drink coffee. (before main verb)
She is always late. (after “be”)
He plays tennis every Saturday. (end of sentence)

Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct
~~She work here.~~	She works here.
~~He don’t like it.~~	He doesn’t like it.
~~Does she likes it?~~	Does she like it?
~~I am work here.~~	I work here.

Practice

Complete with the correct form:

She ___ (study) English every day. → She studies English every day.
___ they ___ (live) in London? → Do they live in London?
He ___ (not/watch) TV in the morning. → He doesn’t watch TV in the morning.

Learning Goals