A1 · BeginnerLesson 2 of 3

Present Simple

Learn the English present simple with main verbs to talk about things that happen regularly, habits, and facts that are always true, at A1 level.

By the flumi team About 6 min read 60 vocabulary wordsGrammar learning path: Present tense foundations

The present simple is one of the most common verb tenses in English.

We use it to talk about things that happen regularly or things that are always true.

This lesson focuses on the present simple with main verbs such as work, eat, and live.

The verb be (am, is, are) follows different rules and is covered in a separate lesson.

When Do We Use the Present Simple?

We use it for... Example
Daily routines I brush my teeth every morning.
Habits She drinks coffee every day.
Facts and general truths The sun rises in the east.
Permanent situations They live in Canada.

Positive Sentences

The structure depends on the subject.

Subject Structure
I / You / We / They Subject + base verb
He / She / It Subject + verb + -s / -es / -ies

I eat pizza.

You eat pizza.

We eat pizza.

They eat pizza.

He eats pizza.

She eats pizza.

It rains a lot here.

Negative Sentences

To make a negative sentence, use do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t).

Subject Structure
I / You / We / They Subject + don't + base verb
He / She / It Subject + doesn't + base verb

I don't eat pizza.

You don't eat pizza.

We don't eat pizza.

They don't eat pizza.

He doesn't eat pizza.

She doesn't eat pizza.

It doesn't rain much here.

After doesn't, always use the base verb.

✓ She doesn't work.

✗ She doesn't works.

Questions

To make a question, use do or does before the subject.

Subject Structure
I / You / We / They Do + subject + base verb?
He / She / It Does + subject + base verb?

Do you eat pizza?

Do they work here?

Does she eat pizza?

Does he live in London?

Wh-questions

Use question word + do/does + subject + base verb?

  • Where do you live?
  • What does she do after school?
  • When do they start work?

When the question word is the subject, do not use do or does:

  • Who lives here?
  • Who works with you?

Short answers

Question Positive Negative
Do you eat pizza? Yes, I do. No, I don't.
Does she work here? Yes, she does. No, she doesn't.

Spelling Rules for the 3rd Person Singular

For he / she / it, the verb usually changes. Here are the main spelling rules.

Add -s

Most verbs:

work → works
live → lives
sit → sits

Add -es

Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -zz, or consonant + o

go → goes
do → does
watch → watches
fix → fixes
pass → passes
buzz → buzzes

Change -y to -ies

If the verb ends in a consonant + y (for example: study, carry), change -y to -ies.

study → studies
carry → carries

If the verb ends in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) + y, just add -s:

play → plays

Exceptions

Remember these common forms:

  • have → has: She has a dog.

The verb be follows different rules; see the separate be lesson.

Pronunciation of the Third-Person -s

The spelling is always -s/-es, but it can sound different. After a voiceless sound, it is usually /s/; after a voiced sound, it is usually /z/.

Sound Examples
/s/ works, sits
/z/ lives, plays
/ɪz/ (an extra sound) watches, passes, buzzes

Two common forms have special pronunciation: does is /dʌz/ and says is /sez/.

Frequency Adverbs and Time Expressions

Frequency adverbs show how often something happens:

How often? Adverb
100% of the time always
most of the time usually
many times often
some of the time sometimes
almost never rarely
very rarely hardly ever / seldom
0% of the time never
Position Rule and example
before a main verb I usually walk to school.
after don’t/doesn’t I don’t usually walk to school.
after the subject in a question Does she often walk to school?

The verb be follows a separate rule for frequency adverbs; see the be lesson.

Never already has a negative meaning. Do not say I don’t never walk to school. Say I never walk to school.

Ask about frequency with How often + do/does + subject + base verb?: How often do you play tennis? / How often does she call her grandmother?

Time expressions usually go at the end: He plays football every Saturday. / We study English in the evening.

Present Simple or Present Continuous?

Use the present simple for regular actions: I always read before bed. Use the present continuous for something happening now: I am reading now. See the Present Continuous lesson for more.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect Correct
She work here. She works here.
Does she works here? Does she work here?
He don’t like coffee. He doesn’t like coffee.
I no like coffee. I don’t like coffee.

Quick check

Try one question now.

1
My sister to school every day.

Check your answer when you are ready. No sign-in needed.

Quick Summary

Sentence type Pattern
Positive (I / you / we / they) Subject + base verb
Positive (he / she / it) Subject + verb + -s / -es / -ies
Negative Subject + don't / doesn't + base verb
Question Do / Does + subject + base verb?

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Present Simple

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Last updated October 14, 2026