Present Simple — English Grammar Exercises
I work, she doesn't like, do you speak…? — the present simple in affirmative, negative and question forms.
Show rules
When to use the present simple
- habits and routines: I get up at seven every day.
- facts and permanent states: Water boils at 100°C.
- timetables and schedules: The train leaves at six.
- stative verbs (know, like, want, understand): I know the answer.
Third-person -s (he / she / it)
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| most verbs: add -s | work → works |
| -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, -o: add -es | watch → watches, go → goes |
| consonant + y: change to -ies | study → studies, try → tries |
| vowel + y: just add -s | play → plays |
| irregular | have → has |
Negatives: don't / doesn't + base form
✅ They don't work here.
✅ She doesn't work here.
Watch out: after doesn't, the verb has no -s — ❌ She doesn't works → ✅ She doesn't work.
Questions: do / does + base form
✅ Do you live here? Does she live here?
✅ Short answers: Yes, he does. / No, they don't.
Watch out: after does, the verb has no -s — ❌ Does she lives? → ✅ Does she live?
Adverbs of frequency
always, usually, often, sometimes, never — position matters.
- before the main verb: She always works hard.
- after the verb be: She is always late.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| He don't like coffee. | He doesn't like coffee. |
| She doesn't likes it. | She doesn't like it. |
| Does he plays tennis? | Does he play tennis? |
| She studys law. | She studies law. |
| He always is busy. | He is always busy. |
-
My brother ___ in a large hospital.
Show answer
works
Third-person singular (he) takes -s: 'works'.
-
She ___ medicine at university.
Show answer
studies
Consonant + y changes to -ies in the third person: 'study' → 'studies'.
-
He ___ a film every Friday night.
Show answer
watches
Verbs ending in -ch add -es: 'watch' → 'watches'.
-
The last train ___ at midnight.
Show answer
goes
'Go' adds -es in the third person: 'goes'.
-
She ___ spicy food at all.
Show answer
doesn't like
After 'doesn't', use the base form with no -s: 'doesn't like'.
-
We ___ work at weekends.
Show answer
don't
Use 'don't' with I, you, we, they.
-
___ your father speak English?
Show answer
Does
Use 'Does' with he, she, it in present simple questions.
-
___ they live near the city centre?
Show answer
Do
Use 'Do' with I, you, we, they in present simple questions.
-
We ___ go to the cinema — maybe twice a year.
Show answer
rarely
'Twice a year' is very infrequent, so the adverb is 'rarely'. 'Always' and 'usually' describe frequent habits.
-
He ___ forgets his keys, so he keeps a spare one at work.
Show answer
often
Keeping a spare key shows it happens repeatedly — 'often'. 'Never' would contradict the second half.
-
Water ___ at one hundred degrees Celsius.
Show answer
boils
The present simple is used for facts. 'Water' (it) takes -s: 'boils'.
-
My old laptop ___ work very well anymore.
Show answer
doesn't
Use 'doesn't' with 'my laptop' (it).
The Present Simple: Form and Use
The present simple is usually the first tense taught in English, yet it remains a steady source of errors well into B1–B2 level — not because the concept is hard, but because its correct form depends on several small, easily forgotten rules: when to add -s, how to spell that -s correctly, which auxiliary to use in negatives and questions, and where to place frequency adverbs. Error-tagged learner corpora repeatedly show that third-person -s omission is one of the most persistent grammar mistakes at intermediate level, often surviving long after learners can use more complex tenses accurately — a phenomenon linguists attribute to the fact that dropping the -s rarely causes a misunderstanding, so the error goes uncorrected in casual speech. This topic drills six areas: affirmative forms and spelling, negatives with don't/doesn't, do/does questions, wh-questions, adverbs of frequency, and mixed review combining stative verbs and timetables.
Affirmative Forms: Third-Person -s and Spelling
In the affirmative, the present simple is identical to the base verb for all subjects except he/she/it, which take an -s ending. The spelling of that ending follows regular patterns.
She studies medicine at university. (consonant + y → -ies)
He watches a film every Friday night. (-ch → -es)
My neighbour washes his car every Saturday. (-sh → -es)
The last train goes at midnight. (-o → -es)
My grandmother has a lovely old garden. ('have' → 'has', irregular)
He always does the washing-up after dinner. ('do' → 'does', irregular)
Grammatically singular subjects that don't look singular still take the -s form: 'everybody', 'each', and uncountable nouns like 'news' all count as third-person singular.
Each of the students has a different project to complete.
The news starts at ten o'clock on this channel.
Negative Forms: Don't and Doesn't
Negatives are built with 'don't' (I/you/we/they) or 'doesn't' (he/she/it), followed by the base form of the main verb — with no -s, since the auxiliary already carries the third-person marking.
We don't work at weekends.
My old laptop doesn't work very well anymore. ('it' → doesn't)
My colleagues don't usually take a break in the afternoon. (plural subject → don't)
Questions with Do and Does
Questions invert the subject and the auxiliary 'do'/'does', with the main verb staying in its base form throughout.
Do they live near the city centre?
"Does your brother play any sport?" — "No, he doesn't." (short answer repeats only the auxiliary)
Wh-Questions
Question words go before the auxiliary, which still agrees with the subject in the usual way.
What time does the post office open on Saturdays?
Why doesn't he ever answer his phone?
Adverbs of Frequency: Position Matters
Adverbs like 'always', 'often' and 'usually' go before the main verb, but after the verb 'be'.
He often goes to the gym. (before the main verb)
Mixed Practice: Stative Verbs and Timetables
Review questions combine the present simple's grammatical rules with its two special uses: stative verbs that never take the continuous ('I understand what you mean'), and fixed timetables that use the present simple even for future events ('Our flight leaves at 6 a.m.').
Common Mistakes
✗ She studys medicine at university. → ✓ She studies medicine. (consonant + y → -ies)
✗ He watchs a film every Friday. → ✓ He watches a film. (-ch → -es)
✗ Does they live near the centre? → ✓ Do they live near the centre? (plural subject → 'do')
✗ "Does your brother play sport?" — "No, he doesn't play." → ✓ "No, he doesn't." (short answer)
✗ Often he goes to the gym. → ✓ He often goes to the gym. (adverb before the main verb)
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you add -s or -es to the verb in the present simple?
Add -s or -es to the base verb whenever the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun standing in for one of them: 'she works', 'the train goes'. Most verbs simply add -s. Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -ss, -x or -o usually add -es instead, because the extra syllable is needed to pronounce the ending: 'watches', 'washes', 'goes'. Verbs ending in a consonant + y change the y to i and add -es: 'study' becomes 'studies', 'try' becomes 'tries'. Two verbs are irregular and must be memorised separately: 'have' becomes 'has', and 'do' becomes 'does'.
What is the difference between 'don't' and 'doesn't'?
'Don't' (do not) is used with I, you, we and they. 'Doesn't' (does not) is used with he, she, it, and singular nouns. Crucially, once 'doesn't' or 'does' appears in the sentence, the main verb returns to its base form with no -s: 'she doesn't like', not 'she doesn't likes'. This double-marking error — adding -s to both the auxiliary and the main verb — is one of the most common present simple mistakes, because learners correctly remember that third-person subjects need an -s somewhere, but place it on the wrong word.
How do you form questions in the present simple?
Present simple questions use the auxiliary 'do' or 'does' before the subject, followed by the base form of the main verb: 'Do you speak French?', 'Does she work here?'. Use 'does' with he, she, it and singular nouns; use 'do' with I, you, we and they. Wh-questions add the question word before the auxiliary: 'Where does your sister work?', 'What time does the shop open?'. Short answers repeat only the auxiliary, not the main verb: 'Does your brother play sport?' — 'No, he doesn't', never 'No, he doesn't play'.
Where do adverbs of frequency like 'always' and 'often' go in a sentence?
Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, never) go before the main verb but after the verb 'be': 'He often goes to the gym' (before the main verb 'goes'), but 'She is always late for class' (after 'is'). A frequent learner error is placing the adverb before the subject or after the whole verb phrase — 'Often he goes to the gym' or 'He goes often to the gym' are both non-standard word order in English, even though similar placements may be natural in other languages.
Also Practice
Last updated: · Satori Editorial