Teresa
08/02/2023
Present Simple
Structure of the present simple in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences.
Infografía
Affirmative Sentences
Subject + Verb (-s/-es)
- She likes ice cream.
- They go to the beach every day.
- We go camping every summer.
- David feels very tired every time he does sports.
| SUBJECT | VERB | |
|---|---|---|
| First-person singular | I | dance |
| Second-person singular | You | dance |
| Third-person singular | He | dances |
| Third-person singular | She | dances |
| Third-person singular | It | dances |
| First-person plural | We | dance |
| Second-person plural | You | dance |
| Third-person plural | They | dance |
In the present simple, third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) add -s or -es at the end of the verb.
Negative Sentences
Subject + don’t (do not) / doesn’t (does not) + Verb
- He doesn’t often drink coffee.
- Julie doesn’t drink alcohol.
- Ann and David don’t play tennis.
- Bananas don’t grow in England.
| SUBJECT | AUXILIARY | VERB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-person singular | I | don’t | dance |
| Second-person singular | You | don’t | dance |
| Third-person singular | He | doesn’t | dance |
| Third-person singular | She | doesn’t | dance |
| Third-person singular | It | doesn’t | dance |
| First-person plural | We | don’t | dance |
| Second-person plural | You | don’t | dance |
| Third-person plural | They | don’t | dance |
In negative sentences, we don’t add -s/-es at the end of the verb when the subject is third person singular. We change the auxiliary, third person singular subjects use doesn’t but the rest of them use don’t.
Interrogative Sentences
Do / Does + Subject + Verb + ?
- Do you usually go shopping?
- Does she like driving?
- Do you want to study English?
- Does he usually play videogames after school?
When the question is a Wh question, we always put it at the beginning. Look at these examples:
- What does this word mean?
- Where do you eat at night?
- Why does she like sports?
- How often do you go to the doctor?
In interrogative sentences, we put do or does at the beginning of the sentence depending on the subject.