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Simple Present Tense - Form

VERB TENSES
The verb "To be" (Present tense)
The verb "To be" (Past tense)
​Present Continuous / Progressive
​Simple past tense
SIMPLE PRESENT​ TENSE
REFERENCE
How to use the Simple Present Tense
EXERCISES
Simple Present Tense Exercises
THE FORMS OF SIMPLE PRESENT
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Affirmative: [VERB] (+ s/es/ies in third person)
Examples:
  • I work in a bank.
  • You get up early every day.
  • She works in a bank.
  • She studies at university.
  • He goes to the movies every Wednesday.
  • It rains every afternoon in summer.
  • We play baseball on Friday nights.
  • You travel together as a happy couple.
  • They pay with cash.​

Negative: do not / does not (in third person) + [VERB]
Examples:
  • I do not speak Portuguese.
  • She does not speak Portuguese.
  • You don’t like apples.
  • He doesn’t like apples.
Negative contractions:
  • do not = don’t
  • does not = doesn’t 

​Interrogative: Do / Does (in third person) + SUBJECT + [VERB]
Examples:
  • Do you work in a bank? Yes, I do / No I don’t.
  • Does she work in a bank? Yes, she does / No, she doesn’t.
 
You can add a question word (why, where, when, how long, who, how, etc.) before do or does to ask for more information.
Examples:
  • What do you do?
  • Where does he work?
  • When does she do her homework?
  • How long do tigers live?
  • Who do you think you are?
  • How do we hear?

The spelling for the verb in the third person singular differs depending on the ending of the verb

In the third person singular (he, she & it) the most of the verbs always end in -s.
Examples:
  • he likes, she cooks, it costs.

There are however some special cases. Here are the spelling rules:
​

There are 3 irregular verbs form:

Verbs ending in: vowel + “y”

Add “-s”

Verbs ending in: “-y”

Change “-y” for “-ies”

Verbs ending in: “s”, “z”, “sh”, “tch”and “ch”

Add “-es”

have = has

go = goes

do = does

 

pay - pays

play – plays

say – says

deny - denies

marry = marries

study = studies

miss = misses

buzz = buzzes

wash = washes

watch = watches

teach = teaches