Simple Present Affirmative Statements

1. Use the simple present to talk about habits or Habit or Routine: I work every day.
routines, schedules, and facts. Schedule: You start work at eight.
Fact: Water freezes at 0 °C
2. Do not put the To Be in front of another verb in ✓ We work at a bank.
the simple present. ✗ We are work at a bank.
3. Add -s to the verb for he, she, it, and singular He drives to work. I drive to work
subjects that imply the third person. But only in She works in an office. They work in an office
affirmative sentences. The bank opens at 9 a.m. The banks open at 9 a.m.

Add ES- to the Verbs ending Plural Subjects, First and Second Person Singular Subjects
in:
O I go to the gym every day Sara goes to the gym every day
You do your homework at night He does his homework at night

CH The children watch TV on Sundays The child watches TV on Sundays

The dogs catch the ball The dog catches the ball

SS You miss class on Mondays Peter misses class on Mondays

I miss my hometown She misses her hometown

SH We fish once a month John fishes once a month

Jill and I demolish the wall The machine demolishes the wall

X I fix the radio Jimmy fixes the radio

You mix the dough The baker mixes the dough

Z The engines buzz constantly The bee buzzes

But if the verb ends in Fly = Verb/Noun

Consonant + Y add IES Fly = Insect / Flies = Insects
Study I study English Yvonne studies English
Fly You fly a kite The kite flies

But Vowel + Y add S

Play I play tennis every night She plays tennis every night
Buy You buy candies Yvonne buys candies

Simple Present Negative Statements

Subject Do not/Don’t Base form of the verb

I don't (do not) play tennis
We don't eat pizza
They don't study on weekends
You don’t work on Sundays
Subject Does not/Doesn’t Base form of the verb
Mary doesn't (does not) works on Saturdays
He doesn't play the piano
It doesn't rain a lot in April

Simple Present Interrogative Statements

Do Subject Base form of the verb +?

Do You study on Fridays?
Negative Answer: No. I don’t Study on Fridays
Do They have a dog?
Positive Answer: Yes. They have a dog

Does Subject Base form of the verb +?

Does Sara have a brother?
Positive Answer: Yes. She has a brother
Negative Answer: No. She doesn’t have a brother
Does It snow in Winter?
Yes. It snows in Winter
No. It doesn’t snow in Winter
I am not I have I don’t have
She is not She has She doesn’t have
Reading comprehension

Doctor Bugs
Most people don’t like bugs, but Doctor Mark Moffett loves them! In fact, his nickname is Doctor Bugs.
He’s a photographer and an entomologist. An entomologist studies bugs. Doctor Moffett’s favorite bug is
the ant. He goes all over the world to study ants. He watches them as they eat, work, rest, sleep, and
fight. He takes photographs of the ants. He lies on the ground with his camera and waits for the right
moment. The ants and other bugs often bite him, but that doesn’t stop Doctor Bugs. He has an interesting
and unusual job, and he loves it!

Choose the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence. Use the negative form with each
sentence.

1. Doctor Moffett love/loves his job. Doctor Moffett doesn’t love his job
2. He study/studies ants. He doesn’t study ants.
3. A salesperson sell/sells products for a company. A salesperson doesn’t sell products for a company.
4. You and Anita work/works on weekends. You and Anita don’t work on weekends.
5. Nurses help/helps people. Nurses don’t help people.
6. We write/writes science books. We don’t write science books.
7. Our office close/closes at 7:00 p.m. Our office doesn’t close at 7:00 p.m.
8. She take/takes classes at the business school. She doesn’t take classes at the business school.
9. You walk/walks to work every day. You don’t walk to work every day.
10. I start/starts work at 8:00 every morning. I don’t start work at 8:00 every morning.

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Ask questions with each
sentence.

1. A zookeeper feeds (feed) animals. Does a zookeeper feed animals?

2. Computer programmers write (write) software. Do computer programmers write software?
3. Photographers take (take) photos. Do photographers take photos?
4. A chef cooks (cook) food. Does chef cook food?
5. A firefighter fights (fight) fires. Does a firefighter fight fires?
6. Musicians play (play) instruments. Do musicians play instruments?
7. A farmer works (work) on a farm. Does farmer work on a farm?
8. A dancer dances (dance). Does a dancer dance?

Write each verb with the correct -s, -es, or -ies ending.

1. study studies 8. Help helps

2. fish fishes 9. Miss misses
3. pass passes 10. Fly flies
4. worry worries 11. Fix fixes
5. explore explores 12. Watch watches
6. bite bites 13. Like likes
7. buy buys 14. Pay pays

Complete the paragraphs with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

Manuel and Lila Vega

Manuel and Lila Vega have (have) a busy lifestyle. Manuel is a doctor at a hospital. He works (work) at
night, so he goes (go) to work at 7:00 p.m. and comes (come) home at 7:00 a.m. His wife Lila works
(work) at a bank. She goes (go) to work at 8:00 a.m. and comes (come) home at 6:00 p.m. They don’t see
(not see) each other a lot during the week. Manuel and Lila also have (have) two children, Luis and Carla.
Every morning they all have (have) breakfast together at 7:30. Then, Luis and Carla go (go) to school and
Lila goes (go) to work. Manuel does (do) the dishes and then goes (go) to bed. Carla usually does (do)
her homework at a friend’s house in the afternoon and Luis has (have) soccer practice. Manuel gets up
(get up) at 4:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., he has (have) dinner with Lila, Luis, and Carla. After dinner, he goes
(go) to work. Manuel and Lila have (have) a busy schedule during the week, but on weekends they relax
(relax).
Match each occupation with what the people do. Use the correct verb forms and make statements aloud.

1. A doctor (1D) a. repair cars.

2. Construction workers (2E) b. enforce the law.
3. A mechanic (3A) c. greet people.
4. Air traffic controllers (4F) d. take care of sick people.
5. A receptionist (5C) e. build houses.
6. Taxi drivers (6H) f. direct airplanes.
7. Police officers (7B) g. work in emergencies.
8. A firefighter (8G) h. take passengers to different places.

The pictures of Lazy Louie and his wife Hannah are not in the correct order. Number the pictures in the
correct order. Then write the number of the picture next to the sentences below. Finally, circle all the
simple present tense verbs.

6 5 1

4 2 3

a. Poor lazy Louie leaves the house and goes jogging.

b. He lies down on the bench and says, “Finally, I am free!” Then he goes to sleep.
c. Lazy Louie hates exercise. He wants to sleep, but he gets up. He puts on his clothes and sneakers with
his eyes closed. Hannah pushes him out of the house.
d. Lazy Louie loves to sleep. He dreams about sleeping! But he snores all the time, and his wife
gets no sleep. Hannah is tired and needs to do something.
e. He runs to the park and finds his favorite bench.
f. Hannah finds a way to get Louie out of bed. She wakes him at 6:45 every morning. He continues to
sleep. She shakes him. She shouts in his ear, “Time to get up! You need your exercise, dear!”

FREQUENCY AND TIME EXPRESSIONS

Examples Explanations
(a) They cook dinner every night. Frequency and time expressions usually
(b) Jay plays soccer twice a week. come at the end of the sentence
(c) They cook dinner every night at 7:00. When there is both a frequency and a time
(d) They cook dinner at 7:00 every night. expression in one sentence, the frequency
expression can come before or after the
time expression.
(e) Once a week, they go out to eat. (grab a bite) Frequency and time expressions can
(f) On weekends, they stay in. (stay in the house) sometimes come at the beginning of a
sentence. Use a comma (,) after the
Once twice three times four times expressions at the beginning of a sentence.
(g) I work on Saturdays. With days and dates, on is not necessary.
(h) I work Saturdays.
(i) I work on July 4th.
(j) I work July 4th.
Examples Explanations
Every morning/afternoon/evening/night Frequency expressions tell how often we do
Every day/week/year something.
Every summer/winter/spring/fall
all the time How often do you watch TV?
once a week I watch TV once a week
twice a month How often do you grab a bite?
three times a year I grab a bite every Friday
in + the morning more general Time expressions tell when we do
the afternoon something.
the evening
in + 1986 years, months, seasons When do you go to the movies?
the summer I go to the movies on Friday
June I go to the movies in the evening on Fridays
on + Wednesday(s) Days, dates
March 17 When do you go jogging?
the weekend In the morning, I go jogging.
at + 7:30 hours and parts of the day At six every morning
night
noon more specific I am home I am at home

Make true statements about your habits or routines using the time and frequency expressions below and
the simple present tense.

Example: once a week You say: I go to the movies once a week.

1. once a week ___________________________________

2. every weekend ___________________________________
3. twice a week ___________________________________
4. on my birthday ___________________________________
5. once a year ___________________________________
6. at 7:30 in the morning ___________________________________
7. on Friday nights ___________________________________
8. in September ___________________________________
9. on vacation ___________________________________
10. all the time ___________________________________
11. on December 31 ___________________________________
12. at 6:00 in the evening ___________________________________

Lifestyle of a College Student. Fill in the blanks with a frequency or time expression (At, In, On, Every)

Jay is a nursing student at a college. Jay gets up (1) _______7:00 (2) _______day of the week. He
leaves home (3) _______8:00 and gets to work (4) _______8:45. He finishes work (5) _______1:00. He
attends classes _______the college (6) in the afternoon three days a week. He works at a local hospital
(7) _______two afternoons. (8) _______the evening, he cooks dinner and studies. He reviews his work
and his experiences _______the hospital (9) _______night. He goes to bed late (10) _______weekday.
(11) _______Saturday, Jay works _______his second job. Jay is busy almost all the time, but (12)
_______Saturday nights; he goes out with his friends. (13) _______Sunday mornings, Jay sleeps late.
(14) _______the afternoon, he does the laundry and food shopping. (15) _______the evening, he studies.
Jay is typical of many working students (16) _______colleges in the United States.

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

7:00 wake up
7:30 eat breakfast at home Go out for breakfast
9:30 Teach French Go jogging Teach French Do aerobics Teach French
12:00 Eat lunch at Eat lunch at Eat lunch at Eat lunch at Attend meetings
school home school home
3:00 Play tennis Prepare Play tennis Go food Clean the apartment
lessons shopping
6:00 Meet a friend Go to cooking Go to the Take dancing Go out with friends
for dinner class movies lessons
8:00 Do the laundry Spend time on Read students’ Prepare
the Internet papers lessons
10:30 Go to bed early
12:00 Go to bed

1. Erika __________________ on Thursday afternoon. __________________

2. Erika __________________ on Friday afternoon at 3.
3. Erika __________________ every day at 7:00.
4. She __________________ at home four times during the week.
5. Once a week, on Friday mornings, she __________________.
6. She __________________ three times a week.
7. She __________________ on Thursday in the morning.
8. She __________________ twice a week.
9. She __________________ on Friday at noon.
10. She __________________ (twice a week) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
11. She __________________ on Tuesday (in the) evening.
12. She __________________ on Wednesday at night.
13. On Friday evening, she __________________.
14. She __________________ from Monday to Thursday.
15. She __________________ at midnight on Friday.
16. She __________________ on Monday at night.
17. She __________________ at 8:00 on Thursday night.