When to use the present simple
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Habits and routines | I go to work every day. She drinks coffee in the morning. |
| Facts and general truths | The sun rises in the east. Water boils at 100°C. |
| Permanent situations | He lives in Madrid. They work at a hospital. |
| Likes and dislikes | I love chocolate. She hates Mondays. |
Signal words:
always, usually, often, sometimes, never · every day/week/morning · on Mondays, at the weekend, in the morning — these words signal present simple.
Affirmative forms
| Pronoun | Verb form | Example (work) |
|---|---|---|
| I | base verb | I work. |
| You | base verb | You work. |
| He / She / It | base verb + -s / -es | He works. / She goes. |
| We | base verb | We work. |
| They | base verb | They work. |
Third person singular: he / she / it
Only he, she, it change the verb. The rules are the same as for plural nouns:
| Rule | When | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Add -s | Most verbs | work → works · like → likes · play → plays |
| Add -es | After -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, -o | watch → watches · go → goes · do → does |
| Change -y → -ies | Consonant + y | study → studies · carry → carries · fly → flies |
| Irregular | have | have → has |
Only he/she/it gets -s!
Never add -s to I, you, we, they: "They works" ✗ → "They work" ✓ · "I likes coffee" ✗ → "I like coffee" ✓. Only the third person singular (he/she/it) takes the -s ending.
Exercise
1. She ______ to school every day.
2. They ______ in a big house.
3. He ______ English and Spanish.
4. I ______ coffee every morning.
5. My sister ______ a cat and a dog.