Virtuous English Academy logoVirtuous English Academy
Two people walking to work at sunrise past a bus stop, with a cup of coffee and a running shoe nearby A1 · Beginner

Present Simple Tense in English (A1)

The present simple describes habits, routines and facts that are generally true. This lesson focuses on how to form it correctly, including the important spelling of the third-person -s (he works, she watches).

Looking for something else? See the Present Simple on a timeline, with 5 short stories.

The present simple is the tense of things that are generally true: habits, routines, permanent situations, scientific facts and timetables. It is the most frequently used tense in English, and it is where every learner starts, because you cannot describe your job, your family or your daily life without it.

The form is almost effortless — you use the base verb for every subject except he, she and it, where you add -s. That single -s is responsible for more A1 errors than any other feature of English grammar, partly because it carries no meaning and partly because it disappears again the moment you form a question or a negative.

That disappearing act is worth understanding. Once do or does enters the sentence, it takes over the grammatical work, and the main verb returns to its base form. This is why She works becomes Does she work? and She doesn't work. The -s has not vanished; it has moved to does.

Timeline: an unbounded band covering past, present and future
The band covers the whole line because a habit has no edges: I work in a bank was true last year and is expected to be true next year. That is why the questions below never ask you to place a present simple on a date — there is no date to place it on.

How to form Present Simple Tense

The only change is the -s with he, she and it — and it moves to does in questions and negatives.
FormI / you / we / theyhe / she / it
AffirmativeI work in a bank.She works in a bank.
NegativeI don't work here.She doesn't work here.
QuestionDo you work here?Does she work here?
Short answer (yes)Yes, I do.Yes, she does.
Short answer (no)No, I don't.No, she doesn't.
With beI am / you are tired.She is tired.

Present Simple Tense: the key rules

  1. Use the present simple for habits, routines, facts and timetables.

    I start work at nine. Water boils at 100°C.

  2. Add -s (or -es) to the verb with he, she and it.

    She works in a bank. He watches TV after dinner.

  3. Negatives use don't/doesn't + base verb.

    I don't eat meat. It doesn't rain much here.

  4. Questions use do/does + subject + base verb.

    Do you like coffee? Does she live near you?

When to use Present Simple Tense

Present simple vs. present continuous

The present simple describes what is generally true; the present continuous describes what is happening around now. Choosing wrongly changes the meaning rather than just the style.

Present simple — always, generally

Routines, permanent facts and repeated actions. Pairs with always, usually, every day, never.

I work in Madrid. She drinks tea every morning.

Present continuous — now, temporarily

Actions in progress at this moment or around this period. Pairs with now, today, this week, at the moment.

I am working in Madrid this month. She is drinking tea right now.

Present Simple Tense in example sentences

Present Simple Tense in a real conversation

Every third-person verb here carries its -s, and every does takes it back again.

Ivan:What does your sister do?

Marta:She works for an airline. She lives in Frankfurt.

Ivan:Does she travel a lot?

Marta:Not really. She doesn't fly — she works in the office.

Ivan:Do you visit her often?

Marta:I go about twice a year. The train takes six hours.

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

Practice questions

  1. My sister ___ yoga every morning before breakfast.
    dodoesis
  2. He ___ like cold weather. He prefers warm climates.
    don'tdoesn'tisn't
  3. ___ they usually go to the gym on weekdays?
    DoDoesAre

Practise Present Simple Tense today

Focus your practice on the third person, because that is where the errors cluster.

  1. Describe your morning routine in six sentences using I.
  2. Rewrite all six sentences about a friend, changing I to she and adding every -s.
  3. Turn three of those sentences into questions and three into negatives.
  4. Write four facts about your country in the present simple.

Present Simple Tense: frequently asked questions

Why does the -s disappear in questions and negatives?

Because English marks the third person only once per sentence. When do or does is present it becomes the carrier of that marking, so does already contains the -s and the main verb reverts to its base form. This is why She doesn't likes tea is wrong — the -s has been marked twice. Think of does as having taken the -s with it.

When do I add -es instead of -s?

Add -es after the sounds that would otherwise be impossible to pronounce with a bare -s: verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -ss, -x and -z. So watch becomes watches, wash becomes washes, and fix becomes fixes. Verbs ending in a consonant plus -y change the y to -ies, giving study/studies and fly/flies. Go and do are irregular in spelling, giving goes and does.

Can the present simple talk about the future?

Yes, but only for events fixed by a timetable or schedule that is outside the speaker's control: The train leaves at eight, The term starts on 15 September, The match begins at three. For personal plans and intentions you need a genuine future form — I am meeting Ana tomorrow or I will call you later. Using the present simple for a personal arrangement is a common intermediate error.

Where do frequency adverbs go in the sentence?

Adverbs such as always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never go before the main verb but after be: I always walk to work, but I am always late. With an auxiliary they sit between the auxiliary and the main verb: I don't usually work on Saturdays. Adverbs of definite frequency — every day, twice a week, on Mondays — normally go at the end of the sentence instead.

Keep building your A1 English

Advertisement