The tense for things that are generally true: The present simple is the tense you reach for when something is habitual, repeated or generally true — not just happening at this exact moment.
For almost every subject the verb is just the base form (I work, you work, we work, they work). The one thing to watch is the third person singular — he / she / it — which adds an -s: he works, she lives, it rains.
- base form (infinitive)
- the plain verb with no ending: work, live, play, go
- third person singular
- the subjects he, she and it (and singular nouns like 'my brother')
- the -s ending
- the extra -s added to the verb after he / she / it: he works, she plays
- auxiliary verb
- the helper do / does used to make questions and negatives
- time signal (adverb of frequency)
- a word that shows how often: always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day
- habit / routine
- something you do regularly — the main job of the present simple
Why it carries the marks: The present simple is the backbone of almost every English B text — a personal blog, an interview about daily life, a factual leaflet. Choosing it correctly (and remembering the third-person -s) is core Criterion A (Language) accuracy. A missing -s on he work is the single most common error examiners notice, so learn the rule once and reuse it everywhere.
One rule: add -s for he / she / it: The present simple is the easiest tense to form. For I, you, we, they the verb is just the base form. For he, she, it you add -s.
Three small spelling helpers for that -s:
1. After -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o add -es — he watches, she goes, it finishes.
2. A consonant + -y changes to -ies — study → studies, fly → flies (but play → plays, because there is a vowel before the y).
3. have is irregular: he / she / it → has.
| Subject | work | study (-y → -ies) | go / watch (-es) | have (irregular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | work | study | go / watch | have |
| you | work | study | go / watch | have |
| he / she / it | works | studies | goes / watches | has |
| we | work | study | go / watch | have |
| they | work | study | go / watch | have |
Questions and negatives use do / does: To ask a question or make a negative, use the helper do (I/you/we/they) or does (he/she/it) — and the main verb goes back to its base form, with no -s.
Question: Do you live here? · Does she work on Saturdays?
Negative: I don't (do not) eat meat. · He doesn't (does not) like coffee.
Notice: once does carries the -s, the main verb loses it — write Does she work, never Does she works.
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Habits, facts, timetables — not 'right now': Use the present simple for things that are regular or permanent, and for general facts. For an action in progress at this moment you would use the present continuous instead (I am writing now). The clearest signal is a frequency word — always, usually, often, every day, on Mondays — which nearly always points to the present simple.
Main uses of the present simple
- Habits & routines — "I check my phone every morning."
- General facts & truths — "Water boils at 100 degrees."
- Permanent situations — "She lives in Madrid."
- Timetables & schedules — "The train leaves at 8 a.m."
- Opinions & states (verbs like know, like, want) — "I think it's a great idea."
Where the frequency word goes: Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, never) go before the main verb but after the verb 'to be':
She always arrives early. (before the main verb)
She is always early. (after 'to be')
Longer expressions like every day or on Sundays usually go at the start or end of the sentence: Every day I walk to school.
A day told in the present simple: Here is a short everyday paragraph, built one sentence at a time. Every sentence is in the present simple — watch the third-person -s appear and disappear with the subject (I live, she works, my mother leaves, we play, my family relaxes). Read it once for meaning, then study how each verb is formed.
IB-style task — the present simple in action
A daily routine, sentence by sentence
- My name is Aisha and I live in a small town near the coast.
- Every weekday I get up at seven o'clock and I have breakfast with my brother.
- My mother works at the hospital, so she leaves the house before me.
- After school my friends and I usually play volleyball in the park.
- On Sundays we don't do much: my family relaxes at home and we cook a big lunch together.
Steal this for your own routine: Notice how few patterns you need: high-frequency verbs (live, get up, have, work, leave, play, relax, cook), the right third-person -s, and a frequency word or two. Swap in your own activities and you have a ready-made paragraph for the oral or a writing task.
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The slips to watch for: Three mistakes dominate the present simple: forgetting the third-person -s (he work instead of he works), keeping the -s after does/doesn't (Does she works? instead of Does she work?), and using the wrong helper (She don't instead of She doesn't). Compare the correct version with the typical mistake and the fix becomes obvious.
Correct
- He works in a bank.
- She doesn't eat meat.
- Does your sister study French?
Common mistake
- He work in a bank. (missing the third-person -s — needs 'works')
- She don't eat meat. (wrong helper — 'she' needs 'doesn't')
- Does your sister studies French? (the -s belongs to 'does', so the verb is 'study')
Ask: who is the subject — and is there a do/does?: Before you write a present-simple verb, do two quick checks. 1. Is the subject he / she / it (or a singular noun)? If yes, add -s (mind the -es and -ies spellings). 2. Is there a do / does in the sentence (a question or negative)? If yes, the main verb is the base form with no -s — the helper already carries it.