Present Simple Positive form (all verbs)
The present simple is one of the most common tenses in English. With the pronouns I/you/we/they we keep the verb as it is, in its infinitive form. But remember: with he, she, it, we add the ending -s or -es to the infinitive.
Have changes to has.
| Pronoun | Examples of verbs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / we / they | play | feel | love | watch | do | have |
| he / she / it | plays | feels | loves | watches | does | has |
Examples
I like chocolate.
You play football.
Mike has an iPhone.
Lola goes to the gym.
It rains in autumn.
We watch TV.
They travel by plane.
-s or -es?
You can notice that sometimes we add -s (like in "rains") and sometimes -es (like in "goes"). To choose the correct ending, we must look at the last letters of the verb.
With the verb ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, -o, we add -es.
That is logical, otherwise, you cannot pronounce "s" (kiss — kisses and not kisss) or you can hardly hear "s" (wash — washes, not washs)
Examples
I fix — he fixes
I watch — he watches
I push — he pushes
I pass — he passes
I go — he goes
If the verb ends in -y and there is a consonant before -y (like in cry or study), -y changes to -ies.
Examples
I try — he tries
I cry — he cries
I study — he studies
Pay attention to the pronunciation of does [dʌz].