eng5-3.1· Unit 3: Daily Routines· ~13 min

Present Simple (I / you / we / they)

Everyday habits and facts.

We use the Present Simple to talk about habits, routines, and facts — things that happen regularly or are always true. For the pronouns I, you, we, and they, we always use the base form of the verb (no changes). To make a negative sentence, we add don't (do not) before the base verb: I don't like cats; We don't go to school on Sundays. To ask a yes/no question, we put Do at the front: Do you play football? Do they live near here? We answer with short answers: Yes, I do. / No, we don't. Signal words that often appear with the Present Simple include every day, every morning, on Mondays, at the weekend, usually, and always — these clues tell you a habit or routine is being described. Remember: for I / you / we / they, the verb never takes an -s ending. For example: 'We play football every Saturday and we don't go to the park on Sundays.'

Key terms

Present Simple — A verb tense used to talk about habits, routines, and facts that happen regularly or are always true.
base form — The plain dictionary form of a verb with no endings added (e.g. play, go, eat, have).
auxiliary verb (do / don't) — A helper verb. We use 'do' to make questions and 'don't' (do not) to make negatives in the Present Simple.
short answer — A brief yes/no reply using the subject + auxiliary: 'Yes, I do.' or 'No, we don't.'
signal word — A time expression that shows a habit or routine, e.g. every day, on Mondays, usually, always, at the weekend.
Present Simple — Affirmative (I / you / we / they)
SubjectVerb (base form)Example sentence
Iplay / go / eatI play football every Saturday.
youplay / go / eatYou go to school every day.
weplay / go / eatWe eat lunch at home.
theyplay / go / eatThey like cats.

With I, you, we, and they, always use the BASE form of the verb — never add -s.

Present Simple — Negative (don't + base form)
SubjectAuxiliaryVerb (base form)Example sentence
Idon'teatI don't eat breakfast in the morning.
youdon'tlikeYou don't like spiders.
wedon'twatchWe don't watch TV in the morning.
theydon'tplayThey don't play basketball at school.

Use don't (do not) + base form for ALL negatives with I, you, we, they. Never use 'doesn't' with these subjects.

Present Simple — Questions and Short Answers
Question word orderExample questionShort answer (yes)Short answer (no)
Do + I + base verb?Do I need a pen?Yes, you do.No, you don't.
Do + you + base verb?Do you live near school?Yes, I do.No, I don't.
Do + we + base verb?Do we have homework?Yes, we do.No, we don't.
Do + they + base verb?Do they have a dog?Yes, they do.No, they don't.

Always start the question with Do. The verb after the subject stays in the base form. Match the auxiliary in the short answer.

✎How to make a negative sentence with I / you / we / they
  1. 1Step 1: Start with the affirmative sentence.: They watch TV every evening.
  2. 2Step 2: Add 'don't' (do not) before the verb.: They don't watch TV every evening.
  3. 3Step 3: Keep the verb in the BASE form — do NOT add -s.: Correct: 'They don't watch' — NOT 'They don't watches'.
  4. 4Note: Check the subject.: Use 'don't' with I, you, we, they. Only he/she/it uses 'doesn't' — but that is a different topic.
✎How to make a yes/no question and answer it
  1. 1Step 1: Start with the statement.: You play tennis on Fridays.
  2. 2Step 2: Move 'Do' to the front, before the subject.: Do you play tennis on Fridays?
  3. 3Step 3: Keep the base form after the subject — no -s.: Correct: 'Do you play?' — NOT 'Do you plays?'
  4. 4Step 4: Answer with a short answer using the same auxiliary.: Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
🚫Common mistake

Do NOT use 'doesn't' with I, you, we, or they. A very common mistake: 'I doesn't eat breakfast' or 'They doesn't play.' The correct forms are 'I don't eat' and 'They don't play.' 'Doesn't' is only for he, she, and it.

🚫Common mistake

After 'don't', the verb must stay in the BASE form — never add -s. Wrong: 'We don't rides bikes.' Wrong: 'I don't likes cats.' Right: 'We don't ride bikes.' Right: 'I don't like cats.'

⚠️Caution

You cannot make a negative by putting 'not' directly before the verb. Wrong: 'They not play basketball.' You MUST use the auxiliary: 'They don't play basketball.'

💡Note

Signal words like 'every day', 'on Mondays', 'usually', and 'always' are clues that you need the Present Simple. For example: 'We usually eat dinner at seven o'clock.' — the word 'usually' tells you this is a habit.

Rules

  1. 1Use the base form of the verb with I, you, we, and they in affirmative sentences (e.g. I walk to school; They eat lunch at home).
  2. 2Make negatives with don't (do not) + base verb: You don't like spiders; We don't watch TV in the morning.
  3. 3Make yes/no questions by putting Do before the subject: Do you drink tea? Do they have a dog?
  4. 4Answer yes/no questions with short answers: Yes, I do. / No, I don't. / Yes, they do. / No, they don't.
  5. 5Signal words such as every day, on Mondays, at the weekend, usually, and always show that the Present Simple is needed.

Practice

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10 random questions per test

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