A1 Beginner Present simple
Present simple — affirmative
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can write sentences about habits — yours and other people's — and you will know exactly when a verb needs -s.
When to use it
- Habits and repeated actions: I go to school every day.
- General truths: The sun rises in the east.
- Fixed schedules: The train leaves at seven.
Form
| Subject | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I · You · We · They | no change | I play football. |
| He · She · It | add -s | He plays football. |
Step by step
- Look at the subject. Ask yourself: can I replace it with he, she or it?
- If yes → add -s. If no → keep the base verb.
- If you add -s, check the last letters of the verb to spell it correctly.
Spelling table — how to add -s
| Verb ends in | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| most verbs | + s | play → plays · read → reads |
| -s · -sh · -ch · -x · -o | + es | watch → watches · go → goes · fix → fixes |
| consonant + y | drop y, + ies | study → studies · fly → flies |
| vowel + y | + s | play → plays · buy → buys |
| have | irregular | have → has |
Examples
I play football every Sunday.
You speak English very well.
We live in Hai Phong.
My parents work in a hospital.
She plays the piano every evening.
My brother watches cartoons after dinner.
Lan studies English at home.
Water boils at one hundred degrees.
Common mistakes
He play football. → He plays football.
Forgetting -s is the most common A1 mistake. Vietnamese verbs never change with the subject, so the habit is not there.
My sister studys English. → My sister studies English.
study ends in consonant + y, so drop the y and add -ies.
My friends plays football. → My friends play football.
My friends is plural (= they), so no -s on the verb. Seeing -s on the noun does not mean -s on the verb.
Memory tip
If the noun has -s, the verb does not — and the other way round. My friend plays ↔ My friends play. Only one of them carries the -s.
Summary
- He, she, it → add -s. All other subjects keep the base verb.
- After -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o add -es; consonant + y becomes -ies.
- have → has.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.