present simple

Use the present simple for things you do regularly, for facts, and for things that are true for a long time.

With I, you, we and they, the verb is the base form – the form in the dictionary: work, live, go.

He, she, it: add -s

After he, she, it, a name or one thing, add -s to the verb.

Spelling:

• After s, ss, sh, ch, x and o, add -es: watch – watches, miss – misses, go – goes, do – does.
• After a consonant + y, change y to -ies: study – studies, fly – flies. After a vowel + y, just add -s: play – plays, buy – buys.
• Have becomes has.

The -s has three sounds, like plural nouns: "s" in works, "z" in lives, "iz" in watches.

Questions and negatives

Questions and negatives use do and does, and then the -s goes on does, not on the main verb: Does she work? She doesn't work. See do, does for the full rules.

Every day or now

The present simple is for things that happen again and again. For something happening at this moment, use be + -ing.

Common mistakes

• × She work in a hospital. → She works in a hospital.
• × They works here. → They work here.
• × He studys. → He studies.
• × She haves a car. → She has a car.
• × I am work here. → I work here.
• × Does she goes? → Does she go?