What is the present simple?

Use the present simple for habits, routines and general facts: things that are true again and again, not just right now. I play football every Saturday. The sun rises in the east. The verb changes for he/she/it: add -s.

The rule

With I, you, we, they, use the base form of the verb: I play, you play, we play, they play. With he, she, it, add -s (or -es after some endings): he plays, she watches, it opens.

For negatives, use don't with I/you/we/they and doesn't with he/she/it, then the base verb: I don't like coffee. She doesn't like coffee. For questions, use Do or Does: Do you like coffee? Does she like coffee? After does, the verb never takes -s.

Form

Examples

• She plays tennis every weekend.
• I drink coffee every morning.
• He doesn't like spicy food.
• We don't have any homework today.
• Does she speak French?

Common mistakes

• ❌ She play tennis. → ✅ She plays tennis. He, she and it always add -s to the verb.
• ❌ I plays football. → ✅ I play football. I, you, we and they never add -s.
• ❌ She don't like it. → ✅ She doesn't like it. He, she and it need doesn't, never don't.
• ❌ Does she likes tennis? → ✅ Does she like tennis? After does, the verb stays in the base form.