Study the example situation below:

Rose is a teacher. She teaches every day from Monday to Friday.

 

We use the Present Simple to talk about things in general, activities that we do repeatedly or about things that are generally true.

Sam usually runs at the weekends. (repeated action)

The water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (general truth)

The city hall opens at 8.00 am. (timetable)

 

We form the Present Simple by adding -s or –es (for verbs ending in s, x, z, ch, sh) at the end of the verbs for the 3rd person singular (he, he, it).

I / you / we / they eat but he / she / it eats

I / you / we / they / wash but he / she / it washes

 

To ask a question, we use Do for I / you / we / they but does for he / she / it.

Do you like bananas?

Does she like bananas? (when asking a question with does, the verb doesn’t receive -s or -es)

To form a negative sentence, we use do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t) – for the third person singular.

I don’t like bananas.

He doesn’t like bananas. (when forming a negative sentence for the third person singular we do not add -s or -es at the end of the verb)

 

The Present Simple is normally used with adverbs of frequency such as :always, usually, often, rarely, hardly ever, never.

She always drinks coffee in the morning.

They hardly ever go out at night.

We don’t usually sleep in the afternoon.

Does she often clean her house?