The simple present tense is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements.
The simple present structure is as follows:
Subject/Pronoun + verb + Complement.
Look at the following examples:
The students have luch in the cafeteria.
I watch TV in the living room.
You live on hudson Road.
We want a cottage in a town near the lake.
When refering to the third person singular (he, she, it) the verb will add s, es, or ies.
He/She/It + verb s,es, ies + Complment.
Look at the following examples:
*The student has lunch in the cafeteria.
Marianne watches TV in the living room.
My brother likes to play in the park.
John studies History at school on weekends.
The endings s, es, and ies are only used in affirmative sentences and affirmative long answers.
To change a simple present statement to the negative form, to a question form, or to give long complete answers we need to use the auxiliaries Do or Does.
Do is used with the pronouns I, you, they, and we.
Does is used with the pronouns he, she, and it.
Verbs ending in ch, tch, sh, x, z, zz, s, ss, and o will add "es" when used in affirmative sentences and affirmative long answers.
My little sister marches like a soldier.
Susana watches movies on weekends with her brothers.
The teacher quizzes his students every Friday.
My grandmother kisses her grandchildren.
Robert goes to the park everyday.
Verbs ending in a final "y" with a consonant before it will change the "y" to and "i" and will add "es".
The baby cries at night. (cry)
Brenda is studies music at school. (study)
That boy bullies his classmates at school. (bully)
Be careful if your verb ends in a final "y" but with a vowel before it, you will just add "s" to the verb if the subject is he, she, or it.
My sister plays in the backyard everyday. (play)
My dad enjoys swimming in the ocean. (enjoy)
My mom buys her groceries in the supermarket. (buy)
Let's take a look to how Do and Does are used:
The students have lunch in the school's cafeteria
The students don't have lunch in the school's cafeteria.
Do the students have lich in the school's cafeteria?
Yes, the students have lunch in the school's cafeteria.
No, the students don't have lunch in the school's cafeteria.
Yes, they do. No, they don't.
Notice that do/don't are only used with negative sentences, questions, negative long answers, and short answers.
My brother plays video games in the livingroom.
My broher doesn't play video games in the living room.
Does your brother play video games in the livingroom?
No, my brother doesn't play video games in the livingroom.
Yes, my brother plays video games in the livingroom.
Yes, he does. No, he doesn't.
Notice that does/doesn't are only used with negative sentences, questions, negative long answers, and short answers.
