Present Simple: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes

The present simple is the basic present tense in English. We use it for habits and routines, facts, and situations that are true for a long time: I drink coffee every morning, Water boils at 100°C, She lives in Madrid. The main thing to remember is the -s ending with he, she and it.

When do we use the present simple?

1. Habits and routines

Use the present simple for things you do regularly: every day, every week, on Saturdays.

I get up at seven o’clock.
My brother plays football on Sundays.
We don’t watch TV in the morning.

2. Facts and things that are always true

Use it for general truths and scientific facts.

The sun rises in the east.
Cats like fish.
It doesn’t snow in the desert.

3. Permanent situations

Use it for situations that are true now and for a long time, like where you live or what your job is.

I live in a small flat.
My mum works in a hospital.
They speak Spanish and English.

4. Likes, dislikes and opinions

Verbs like like, love, hate, want, know and think are usually in the present simple.

I love pizza.
She doesn’t like cold weather.
Do you know the answer?

5. Timetables

Use it for fixed times of trains, buses, films and classes.

The bus leaves at 8.15.
The film starts at nine.

How to form the present simple

Positive sentences

Use the base form of the verb (work, play, eat). With he, she, it (and one person or thing, like my dad or the shop), add -s.

Subject	Verb	Example
I	work	I work in an office.
You	work	You work very hard.
He / She / It	works	She works at home.
We	work	We work together.
They	work	They work at night.

Negative sentences

Use don’t (do not) or doesn’t (does not) + the base form. After doesn’t, the verb has no -s.

Subject	Negative	Example
I / You / We / They	don’t + verb	I don’t eat meat.
He / She / It	doesn’t + verb	He doesn’t eat meat.

In speaking and informal writing, we normally use the short forms don’t and doesn’t.

Questions

Put Do or Does at the start, then the subject, then the base form. Again, no -s on the main verb.

Question	Short answer (yes)	Short answer (no)
Do you like tea?	Yes, I do.	No, I don’t.
Do they live here?	Yes, they do.	No, they don’t.
Does she work on Fridays?	Yes, she does.	No, she doesn’t.
Does it rain a lot?	Yes, it does.	No, it doesn’t.

Questions with question words

Put the question word (what, where, when, what time, how often) before do or does.

Where do you live?
What time does the shop open?
How often do they go swimming?
What does your sister do? (= What is her job?)

Spelling: adding -s with he, she, it

Most verbs just take -s, but some need -es or change their spelling.

Rule	Examples
Most verbs: add -s	work → works, play → plays, read → reads
Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x: add -es	kiss → kisses, wash → washes, watch → watches, fix → fixes
Verbs ending in -o: add -es	go → goes, do → does
Consonant + -y: change y to -ies	study → studies, fly → flies, carry → carries
Vowel + -y: just add -s	play → plays, buy → buys, enjoy → enjoys
Irregular	have → has

Pronunciation of the -s ending

The -s ending has three sounds:

/s/ after sounds like p, t, k, f: works, stops, likes, laughs
/z/ after most other sounds: plays, lives, reads, goes
/ɪz/ (an extra syllable) after s, z, sh, ch, x sounds: watches, washes, kisses, uses

Also note: does is pronounced /dʌz/ and says is pronounced /sez/.

Signal words

These words often appear with the present simple:

Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never
Time expressions: every day, every week, every summer, on Mondays, at weekends, in the morning, once a week, twice a month

Word order matters. Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb but after the verb be:

She usually walks to school.
I never drink coffee at night.
He is always late. (after be)

Longer time expressions usually go at the end: We go to the cinema once a month. For more practice with word order, read our guide to adverbs of frequency like always, usually and never.

Present simple and the verb be

The verb be (am, is, are) is special. It does not use do or does in negatives and questions.

	Verb be	Other verbs
Positive	She is a teacher.	She teaches English.
Negative	She isn’t at home.	She doesn’t live here.
Question	Is she happy?	Does she like her job?

Also, don’t use am/is/are together with another present simple verb: say I work, not I am work. If you need to review am, is, are, see our guide to the verb to be.

Present simple or present continuous?

Learners often mix the present simple with the present continuous (am/is/are + -ing).

Present simple	Present continuous
Habits, routines, facts	Actions happening now, at this moment
I play tennis on Saturdays.	I’m playing tennis now.
She works in a bank.	She’s working from home today.
Signal words: every day, usually, never	Signal words: now, right now, at the moment, today

Ask yourself: is this a regular or permanent thing, or is it happening right now? Our guide to present simple vs present continuous explains the difference in more detail.

Common mistakes

✗ She work in a bank. → ✓ She works in a bank.
With he, she and it, the verb needs -s.
✗ He doesn’t works on Sundays. → ✓ He doesn’t work on Sundays.
Doesn’t already shows he/she/it, so the main verb has no -s.
✗ Does she likes music? → ✓ Does she like music?
After does in questions, use the base form.
✗ I am work in a shop. → ✓ I work in a shop.
Don’t add am/is/are before a present simple verb.
✗ Do you are tired? → ✓ Are you tired?
The verb be makes questions without do.
✗ I not like fish. → ✓ I don’t like fish.
Negatives need don’t or doesn’t.
✗ Where you live? → ✓ Where do you live?
Questions need do or does after the question word.
✗ He haves two cats. → ✓ He has two cats.
Have is irregular: he/she/it has.
✗ She watchs TV. / He studys a lot. → ✓ She watches TV. / He studies a lot.
Follow the -es and -ies spelling rules.
✗ I go always to the gym. → ✓ I always go to the gym.
Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb.

Quick check

Choose or write the correct form.

My dad ___ (cook) dinner every evening.
They ___ (not / like) horror films.
___ your sister speak French?
Tom ___ (watch) football on Saturdays.
Correct the mistake: She don’t have a car.

Answers

cooks
don’t like
Does
watches
She doesn’t have a car.

Next step

Now put the rules into practice. Start with our A1 Present Simple Test 1 to check positive sentences, negatives and questions, then try A1 Present Simple Test 2 for more practice with spelling and word order. If you make mistakes with don’t/doesn’t or the -s ending, come back to the tables above, read the examples aloud, and write five sentences about your own daily routine using I and five about a friend using he or she.