Present Simple Exercises, Quiz, Worksheet

Present Simple Exercises

These exercises focus on Present Simple and how we use it.

Present Simple Tense - table of forms

Subject	Affirmative	Negative	Question
I	I eat breakfast at 7.	I don’t eat breakfast at 7.	Do I eat breakfast at 7?
You	You read a magazine.	You don’t read a magazine.	Do you read a magazine?
We	We walk to school.	We don’t walk to school.	Do we walk to school?
They	They watch films on Fridays.	They don’t watch films on Fridays.	Do they watch films on Fridays?
He	He plays the guitar.	He doesn’t play the guitar.	Does he play the guitar?
She	She drinks tea.	She doesn’t drink tea.	Does she drink tea?
It	It makes a funny sound.	It doesn’t make a funny sound.	Does it make a funny sound?

Affirmative sentences

Form: Subject + verb

Examples:

I read books every evening.
You travel by bus.
We play football after school.
They watch TV at night.

For he / she / it, add -s or -es to the verb:

She reads books every evening.
He watches TV at night.
The dog likes meat.

Spelling rules

Add -s: work → works, read → reads.
Add -es for verbs ending in -o, -ch, -sh, -ss, -x: go → goes, wash → washes.
For verbs ending in consonant + y: study → studies, try → tries.
Irregular: have → has.

Negative sentences

Form: Subject + do/does not + verb

I do not like coffee. → I don’t like coffee.
They do not play tennis. → They don’t play tennis.
He does not eat fish. → He doesn’t eat fish.
She does not work on Sundays. → She doesn’t work on Sundays.

Remember:

Use don’t with I, you, we, they.
Use doesn’t with he, she, it.

Questions (Yes/No questions)

Form: Do/Does + subject + verb?

Examples:

Do you like apples? → Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Do they live in Paris? → Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.
Does he play the piano? → Yes, he does. / No, he doesn’t.
Does she read the newspaper? → Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.

Wh-Questions

Form: Question word + do/does + subject + verb?

Examples:

Where do you live? → I live in London.
When do they start school? → They start at 9 o’clock.
What does he eat for breakfast? → He eats eggs.
Why does she like swimming? → Because it is fun.

The verb to be

The verb to be is special. It does not use do/does in questions and negatives.
Forms: am, is, are

I am tired.
You are happy.
He is tall.
We are ready.
They are at school.

Negative:

I am not tired.
She is not here. → She isn’t here.
They are not hungry. → They aren’t hungry.

Questions:

Am I late?
Is he your brother?
Are they students?

Have a look at Present Simple Forms of "To Be"

When do we use the Present Simple?

Habits and routines

I brush my teeth every morning.
She goes jogging on Saturdays.

Facts and truths

The sun rises in the east.
Water boils at 100°C.

Schedules and timetables

The train leaves at 8 o’clock.
My lesson starts at 10.

Instructions

Open the window.
Mix the flour and the sugar.

Stative verbs (verbs that describe states, not actions)

I like chocolate.
He knows the answer.
They need help.

Headlines (in newspapers)

Prime Minister meets the French President.
City builds a new bridge.

Time expressions with the Present Simple

We often use:

always, usually, often, sometimes, never
every day / week / year
on Mondays / on Sundays
at the weekend
twice a week, three times a month

Examples:

I usually wake up at 7.
She never drinks tea.
They go shopping every Saturday.
The bus leaves at 6 o’clock.