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PRESENT SIMPLE rules tables exercises

affirmativeWe form the present tense using the base form of the infinitive (without the TO).

In general, we add -S in the third person (he/she/it).

Verb TO DRINK

I drinkYou drinkHe drinksShe drinksIt drinksWe drinkYou drinkThey drink

Verb TO LISTEN

I listenYou listenHe listensShe listensIt listensWe listenYou listenThey listen

Verb TO WORK

I workYou work He works She worksIt worksWe work You workThey work

affirmativeFor verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person.

Verb TO GO

I goYou goHe goesShe goesIt goesWe goYou goThey go

Verb TO WASH

I washYou washHe washesShe washesIt washesWe washYou washThey wash

Verb TO KISS

I kissYou kissHe kisses She kissesIt kissesWe kiss You kissThey kiss

affirmativeFor verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.

NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.

Verb TO STUDY

I studyYou studyHe studiesShe studiesIt studiesWe studyYou studyThey study

Verb TO PLAY

I playYou playHe plays She playsIt playsWe playYou playThey play

studystudiesstudbut notice:

playplays

1. I ________ (go) to work by car. Fred ________ (go) to work by bus.

2. She ________ (like) chicken.

3. They ________ (get up) at half past seven.

4. Jim ________ (brush) his teeth after breakfast.

5. You ________ (study) in the evening, but Kate ________ (study) at 6.30pm.

6. The boys ________ (play) football in the playground.

7. David ________ (work) on Saturdays.

8. We ________ (have) lunch in the school canteen.

9. Mr. Adams ________ (go) to bed at quarter to eleven.

affirmative exercises

Think before you click:

go goes

likes

get up

brushes

study studies

play

works

have

goes

negativeTo make a negative sentence we need the auxiliary do(es) + not + verb.

We normally use the contractions don't (do + not) and doesn't (does + not).

Verb TO WORK

I don’t workYou don’t work He doesn’t work She doesn’t workIt doesn’t workWe don’t work You don’t workThey don’t work

Verb TO GO

I don’t goYou don’t goHe doesn’t goShe doesn’t goIt doesn’t goWe don’t goYou don’t goThey don’t go

Verb TO STUDY

I don’t studyYou don’t studyHe doesn’t studyShe doesn’t studyIt doesn’t studyWe don’t studyYou don’t studyThey don’t study

As you can see, in the third person (he/she/it), in the negative form,

the -s disappears from the verb and goes to the auxiliary: does.

negativeWatch out for the differences between the affirmative and the negative sentences.

affirmative negative

I work in an office. I don’t work in an office.You wake up at 7.00. You don’t wake up at 7.00.He listens to music at night. He doesn’t listen to music at night.She goes to school on foot. She doesn’t go to school on foot.It likes milk. It doesn’t like milk.We study in the afternoon. We don’t study in the afternoon.You eat apples at lunch. You don’t eat apples at lunch.They have dinner at home. They don’t have dinner at home.

aff. He visits his uncle on Saturday.neg. He doesn’t visit his uncle on Saturday.aff. He visits his uncle on Saturday.neg. He doesn’t visit his uncle on Saturday.

1. I ________ (go) to school by bus. Blenda ____________ (go) to school by car.

She ________ (go) to school by car. Her father ________ (drive) her to school.

2. They ____________ (work) in a supermarket. They ________ (work) in a shopping.

3. You ________ (like) cherries but you ____________ (like) apples.

John ____________ (like) pears but he ________ (like) apples.

4. I usually ________ (take) a shower in the morning.

My mother sometimes ________ (take) it in the evening.

5. I ____________ (have) lunch in the restaurant. I ________ (have) lunch in the

canteen. My sister ________ (have) lunch at home.

6. We ____________ (study) at school. We ________ (study) at home.

I ________ (study) in my bedroom. Lisa ____________ (study) in the bedroom.

She ________ (study) and ________ (do) her homework in the living-room.

affirmative & negative exercisesThink before you click:

go doesn’t go

goes drives

don’t work work

like don’t like

doesn’t like likes

take

takes

don’t have have

has

don’t study study

study doesn’t study

studies does

interrogative To make a question we use the auxiliary do(es) + subject + verb.

Verb TO WASH

Do I wash …?Do you wash …?Does he wash …? Does she wash …?Does it wash …?Do we wash …?Do you wash …?Do they wash …?

Verb TO READ

Do I read …?Do you read …?Does he read …? Does she read …?Does it read …?Do we read …?Do you read …?Do they read …?

Verb TO HELP

Do I help …?Do you help …?Does he help …? Does she help …?Does it help …?Do we help …?Do you help …?Do they help …?

interrogativeIn questions beginning with do/does we usually give short answers using those words.

Here are some examples:

Do you get dressed before breakfast? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.

Do they have breakfast at eight? Yes, they do. No, they don’t.

Does he help his sister? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.

Does Helen go to bed late? Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.

Do the boys study a lot? Yes, they do. No, they don’t.

Does Susan’s father work in London? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.

Do her friends play football? Yes, they do. No, they don’t.

1. _______ you _______ (wake up) before seven o’clock? No, I ________.

2. _______ she _______ (have) a bath in the evening? Yes, she ________.

3. _______ Sofia’s cousins _______ (live) in Lisboa? Yes, they ________.

4. _______ your grandmother _______ (help) you with the homework?

No, she ________.

interrogative exercisesThink before you click:

Do wake up don’t

Does have does

Do live do

Does help

doesn’t

Fill in all the blanks:

1. _______ Ann and Kate _______ (watch) TV before dinner? No, ______ ________.

2. _______ John _______ (do) his homework? Yes, ______ ________.

3. _______ John’s parents _______ (get up) early? _____, ______ do.

4. _______ Jane’s brother _______ (set) the table? _____, ______ doesn’t.

Do watch they don’t

Does do he does

Do get up yes they

Does set No he

1. I ________ (comb) my hair every day. _______ you ________ (brush) your teeth?

Yes, I _______. But I ____________ (comb) my hair every day.

2. Cindy ____________ (go) to bed after dinner. She usually ________ (go) to bed at

10.30. What time _______ you ________ (go) to bed?

3. My father sometimes ________ (play) chess with me. He ____________ (like)

playing cards. _______ your father ________ (play) cards? Yes, he _______.

4. My parents ____________ (have) breakfast at home. They ________ (drink)

a coffee at work. My sister ________ (have) cereals for brekfast.

5. He ________ (study) a lot for the tests. _______ Amy usually ________ (study)?

No, she _______.

6. Where _______ Kevin ________ (watch) TV? He ________ (watch) TV in the kitchen.

7. We often ________ (ride) our bikes in the park, but we ____________ (play) football.

affirmative negative interrogative exercises

Think before you click:

comb Do brush

do don’t comb

doesn’t go goes

do go

plays doesn’t like

Does play does

don’t have drink

has

studies Does study

doesn’t

does watch watches

ride don’t play

Remember that we use the present tense:

1. For repeated or regular actions in the present time period. I go to school by bus. John has dinner at home.

2. For habits/routines. I usually get up early. Susan always brushes her teeth twice a day. They take a shower before dinner.

3. For facts. A cat has four legs.

4. For things that are always/generally true. It rains a lot in winter.