Grammar Guide

What is it?

The Present Simple is used to talk about habits, routines, facts, permanent situations, and things that happen regularly.

Examples:

• I work from home.
• She drinks coffee every morning.
• The sun rises in the east.

With he, she, and it, the verb usually ends in -s or -es.

• I work.
• He works.
• They watch television.
• She watches television.

When to use

Use the Present Simple for:

• habits and routines: I walk to work every day.
• repeated actions: She calls her mother every Sunday.
• general facts: Water boils at 100°C.
• permanent situations: They live in Canada.
• opinions and feelings: I like this song.
• schedules and timetables: The train leaves at six.
• instructions and directions: Turn left, and the bank is on your right.

Common time expressions include:

• always
• usually
• often
• sometimes
• rarely
• never
• every day
• once a week
• on Mondays

Structure

Positive sentences

Use the base form of the verb with I, you, we, and they.

Use the verb with -s or -es with he, she, and it.

Spelling with he, she, and it

Negative sentences

Use:

subject + do not/does not + base verb

The short forms are:

• do not → don’t
• does not → doesn’t

After doesn’t, use the base form of the verb.

Questions

Use:

Do/Does + subject + base verb?

• Do you work here?
• Does she speak French?
• Do they live nearby?

Short answers

• Do you drive? — Yes, I do.
• Do they work here? — No, they don’t.
• Does he cook? — Yes, he does.
• Does she live in Calgary? — No, she doesn’t.

Adverbs of frequency

Adverbs such as always, usually, often, sometimes, and never usually come before the main verb.

• I usually get up at seven.
• She often walks to work.
• They never eat meat.

With the verb to be, the adverb usually comes after the verb.

• He is always busy.
• We are usually at home.

Examples

1. I drink coffee every morning.
2. She works in a hospital.
3. They play football on Saturdays.
4. He doesn’t eat meat.
5. We don’t watch much television.
6. Do you speak English?
7. Does your brother live nearby?
8. The shop opens at nine.
9. Water freezes at 0°C.
10. My parents usually visit us in summer.

Exceptions

The verb to be uses am, is, and are and does not use do or does in negatives and questions.

• I am tired.
• She isn’t at home.
• Are they ready?

The verb have is usually regular in American English.

• Do you have a car?
• She doesn’t have a car.

In British English, have got is also common.

• Have you got a car?
• She hasn’t got a car.

Some verbs describe states and are usually used in the Present Simple rather than the Present Continuous.

• know
• believe
• want
• need
• like
• love
• understand

Common mistakes

1. Incorrect: He work every day. Correct: He works every day. Explanation: Add -s to the verb with he, she, and it.

2. Incorrect: She don’t like coffee. Correct: She doesn’t like coffee. Explanation: Use doesn’t with she.

3. Incorrect: Does he works here? Correct: Does he work here? Explanation: Use the base verb after does.

4. Incorrect: I am go to work every day. Correct: I go to work every day. Explanation: Do not use am before a normal Present Simple verb.

5. Incorrect: They doesn’t live here. Correct: They don’t live here. Explanation: Use don’t with they.

6. Incorrect: She studys English. Correct: She studies English. Explanation: Change consonant + y to i before adding -es.

7. Incorrect: Do she speak French? Correct: Does she speak French? Explanation: Use does with she.

8. Incorrect: He doesn’t goes to school. Correct: He doesn’t go to school. Explanation: Use the base form after doesn’t.