Simple Present Tense
You already know how to form the simple present tense by adding -s, -es, or -ies to verbs for he, she, and it. Now you will learn how to make negative sentences and questions using do and does, and how to tell the difference between the simple present and the present continuous tense.
What You'll Learn
- How to form negative sentences using "do not" and "does not"
- How to form questions using "Do" and "Does"
- How to tell the difference between the simple present and the present continuous tense
When to Use
- Negative habits and routines: "She does not eat sweets after dinner."
- Negative facts: "Penguins do not fly."
- Questions about habits: "Does your brother play football every Saturday?"
- Questions about facts: "Do birds live in nests?"
How to Form
Negative Sentences
To make a simple present sentence negative, add do not or does not before the base form of the verb.
| Subject | Negative form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | do not (don't) + verb | I do not like bitter gourd. |
| He / She / It | does not (doesn't) + verb | She does not walk to school. |
Important: After "does not", always use the base form of the verb. Do not add -s. "She does not walk" is correct. "She does not walks" is wrong.
Questions
To form a yes/no question, put Do or Does at the start, followed by the subject and the base form of the verb.
| Subject | Question form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | Do + subject + base verb? | Do you eat breakfast every day? |
| He / She / It | Does + subject + base verb? | Does she eat breakfast every day? |
Question-Word Questions
You can also start with a question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) before do or does.
| Question word + do/does | Example |
|---|---|
| What + do | What do you eat for breakfast? |
| Where + does | Where does your grandmother live? |
| Why + do | Why do they take the MRT to school? |
| How + does | How does this machine work? |
Key Rules
- Use "do not" with I, you, we, they: "I do not have a pet." "They do not like durian."
- Use "does not" with he, she, it: "He does not play the piano." "It does not rain every day."
- Base form after do/does: After "do", "does", "do not", or "does not", always use the base form of the verb -- never add -s or -es. "Does he like?" is correct. "Does he likes?" is wrong.
- Simple present vs present continuous: Use the simple present for things that happen regularly or are always true. Use the present continuous for things that are happening right now. "She reads every evening." (habit) vs "She is reading a book now." (happening now)
- Look for clue words to decide: "Every day" and "always" point to the simple present. "Now" and "right now" point to the present continuous.
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| She does not likes ice cream. | She does not like ice cream. | After "does not", use the base form -- no -s |
| Does he walks to school? | Does he walk to school? | After "Does", use the base form -- no -s |
| He do not eat vegetables. | He does not eat vegetables. | "He" is singular -- use "does not", not "do not" |
| I am play football every day. | I play football every day. | "Every day" tells you it is a habit -- use the simple present, not present continuous |
| She is cook dinner every night. | She cooks dinner every night. | A regular habit needs the simple present with -s, not "is" + base verb |
Clue Words
Words that tell you to use the simple present:
always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, every day, every week, every morning, every night
Words that tell you to use the present continuous instead:
now, right now, at the moment, look!, listen!, currently
Tip: If you see "every ___" or "always", use the simple present. If you see "now" or "right now", use the present continuous!
Practice Tips
- The "do or does" test: Find the subject first. Is it I, you, we, or they? Use "do". Is it he, she, or it? Use "does". Then always follow with the base form of the verb.
- Check for -s after does: After you write a sentence with "does" or "does not", look at the main verb. If you see -s on it, cross it out. "Does she walks?" becomes "Does she walk?"
- The "now or every day" test: Ask yourself, "Is this action happening right now, or does it happen regularly?" If it happens regularly, use the simple present. If it is happening right now, use the present continuous.
Quick Reference
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive (I/you/we/they) | subject + base verb | They play football after school. |
| Positive (he/she/it) | subject + verb-s | He plays football after school. |
| Negative (I/you/we/they) | subject + do not + base verb | They do not play on Sundays. |
| Negative (he/she/it) | subject + does not + base verb | He does not play on Sundays. |
| Question (I/you/we/they) | Do + subject + base verb? | Do they play every day? |
| Question (he/she/it) | Does + subject + base verb? | Does he play every day? |
| Tense | When to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple present | habits, routines | She reads a book every evening. |
| Present continuous | happening right now | She is reading a book right now. |