CEFR A1

    Present Simple

    Learn how to talk about daily routines, habits, and general truths. Practice using the base form of verbs with I, you, we, they and adding -s or -es with he, she, it.

    What You'll Learn About Present Simple

    Understand when to use Present Simple - for habits, routines, and general truths
    Master verb forms - learn the 's' rule for he/she/it and when to use 'do/does'
    Use time expressions - learn words like always, usually, often, never, every day
    Avoid common mistakes - learn the right way to form questions and negatives

    What is Present Simple?

    Present simple = base verb for I/you/we/they. Add -s or -es for he/she/it. Use for habits, facts, and routines.

    I work every day.She works in a school.They live in Hanoi.He teaches English.

    Spelling: he/she/it

    Most verbs: add -s (work→works). Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, -o: add -es (teach→teaches, go→goes). Verb ending in consonant + y: change y to i + es (study→studies).

    Present Simple is the most important tense in English. We use it to talk about things that are always true, habits, and regular activities.

    Habits & Routines

    ✓ I work every day

    ✓ She studies English

    ✓ We eat dinner at 7 PM

    General Truths

    ✓ The sun rises in the east

    ✓ Water boils at 100°C

    ✓ Cats like milk

    Key Rule to Remember

    For he/she/it (third person singular), we add 's' to the verb. This is the most important rule in Present Simple.

    ✓ I work → He works

    ✓ You study → She studies

    ✓ We play → It plays

    A Day in the Life

    Imagine you are describing your daily routine to a new friend.

    Every morning, you wake up at 7 o'clock. You brush your teeth and eat breakfast.

    Your sister studies at the university. She always leaves the house before you.

    After school, your friends play football in the park. You sometimes join them.

    In the evening, your family eats dinner together. Your father usually cooks.

    Notice how every sentence describes a habit or routine — that's Present Simple in action!

    Present Simple Verb Forms

    Learning the correct verb forms is essential for using Present Simple correctly.

    I/You/We/They

    Use the base form of the verb (no changes)

    I work here
    You study English
    We like coffee
    They play football

    He/She/It

    Add 's' or 'es' to the verb

    He works here
    She studies English
    It rains a lot
    My brother plays tennis

    Quick Practice

    Choose the correct verb form:

    1. "She __________ to school every day." (go/goes)

    2. "They __________ TV in the evening." (watch/watches)

    3. "My father __________ in a bank." (work/works)

    Check your answers

    1. goes

    2. watch

    3. works

    Time Expressions with Present Simple

    These words and phrases help show that we're talking about habits and regular activities.

    Frequency Adverbs

    always
    100% of the time
    usually
    about 80%
    often
    about 60%
    sometimes
    about 40%
    Example: "I usually drink coffee in the morning."

    Time Phrases

    every day
    on Mondays
    in the morning
    at night
    Example: "She goes to the gym every day."

    Negative Frequency

    Never (0%)
    I never smoke
    She never drinks tea
    Rarely/Seldom
    We rarely eat out
    He seldom watches TV
    Example: "I never drink coffee after 6 PM."

    Want to try a Present Simple quiz?

    Practice with multiple choice questions

    Questions and Negative Sentences

    Learn how to make questions and negative sentences using 'do', 'does', 'don't', and 'doesn't'.

    Questions with Do/Does

    Use 'do' for I/you/we/they and 'does' for he/she/it:

    Do/Does
    +
    Subject
    +
    Base Verb

    Do you like coffee?

    Does she work here?

    Remember: With 'does', the verb doesn't get 's'

    Good Examples
    Do they live here?
    Does he speak English?
    Where do you work?
    Common Mistakes
    ❌ Does she works here?
    ❌ Do he like coffee?
    ❌ Where does you live?

    Ready to test your Present Simple knowledge?

    Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    Forgetting 's' with he/she/it

    ❌ He work every day.

    ✓ He works every day.

    Always add 's' to the verb for he/she/it

    Adding 's' in questions with 'does'

    ❌ Does she works here?

    ✓ Does she work here?

    With 'does', use the base form of the verb

    Using wrong form in negatives

    ❌ He doesn't works here.

    ✓ He doesn't work here.

    After 'doesn't', use the base form of the verb

    Wrong word order in questions

    ❌ Where you do work?

    ✓ Where do you work?

    Questions always start with question word + do/does

    Using Present Simple for right now

    ❌ I eat lunch now.

    ✓ I am eating lunch now.

    Use Present Continuous for actions happening now

    Master Present Simple sentence building!

    Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

    Tips for Learning Present Simple

    Practice the 's' rule - make sentences with he/she/it every day
    Describe your routine - talk about what you always/usually/sometimes do
    Use time expressions - add words like every day, usually, always
    Ask questions - practice with do/does for all subjects
    Make negatives - use don't/doesn't correctly
    Think about facts - describe things that are always true

    Speaking Practice

    To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

    I work in an office every day.

    She studies English at school.

    We usually eat dinner at 7 PM.

    He doesn't like coffee in the morning.

    They play football on weekends.

    My father reads the newspaper every morning.

    The bus arrives at the station at eight o'clock.

    I don't live in a big city.

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