TEACHER'S NOTES
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Present Simple Practice
Activity Type Introduction
Reading and writing In this present simple lesson, students learn and identify the rules
activity and verb forms associated with the present simple tense.
Procedure
Language Focus
Give each student a copy of the lesson.
Present simple
Students start by writing third-person singular verb forms, adding
Subject-verb agreement
–s, -es, or –ies to the end of verbs.
Third-person singular
Exercise A - Answer key
verb forms
Adverbs of frequency and 1. teaches 9. buzzes
frequency expressions 2. flies 10. watches
3. runs 11. sits
4. pushes 12. guesses
Aim 5. fixes 13. stops
6. does 14. worries
To identify the rules and 7. dances 15. finishes
verb forms associated 8. goes 16. has
with the present simple
tense. When the students have finished, go through the answers and
then have them complete the spelling rules for third-person
singular verb forms by going through their list of verbs.
Preparation
Students then underline the correct verb form in a set of present
Make one copy of the
simple sentences and write what they understand about subject-
lesson for each student.
verb agreement in the present simple.
Exercise B - Answer key
Level
Pre-intermediate (A2) 1. goes 9. barks
2. eat 10. listen
3. does 11. go
Time 4. play 12. feed
5. listens 13. live
45 minutes 6. watches 14. eat
7. finishes 15. takes
8. sweeps
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TEACHER'S NOTES
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Present Simple Practice
Activity Type Procedure continued
Reading and writing After that, the students fill in the correct verb forms in affirmative
activity and negative sentences and write the rules for negative verb
forms in the present simple.
Language Focus Exercise C - Answer key
Present simple
1. doesn't play, play 9. doesn't sit, goes
Subject-verb agreement 2. don't fly, swim 10. doesn't have, has
3. wash, don't put 11. doesn't like, likes
Third-person singular 4. don't clean, eat 12. isn't, is
verb forms 5. tries, doesn't behave 13. don't do, do
6. brushes, goes 14. am, am not
Adverbs of frequency and 7. don't catch, catch 15. starts, doesn't start
frequency expressions 8. doesn't rise, rises
Finally, students rewrite sentences, adding adverbs of frequency
Aim and frequency expressions in the correct position. After which,
To identify the rules and they complete sentences, explaining the correct position of
verb forms associated frequency adverbs and expressions in a sentence.
with the present simple
tense. Exercise D - Possible answers are underlined
1. We are often at home on Sunday.
Preparation 2. I’m usually not busy on Monday.
3. The cleaner works here five days a week.
Make one copy of the 4. My parents visit me once a month.
lesson for each student. 5. They are always happy to have guests.
6. We sometimes have bacon for breakfast.
7. Birds build their nests on this roof every summer.
Level 8. They generally sing very loudly.
Pre-intermediate (A2) 9. Sally is rarely late for school.
10. Mike seldom has lunch before one o’clock.
Time
45 minutes
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PRESENT SIMPLE AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Present Simple Practice
For third-person singular verb forms in the present simple, we add -s, -es or -ies at
the end of the verb.
A. Add -s, -es or -ies to the following verbs.
1. teach ____________ 9. buzz ____________
2. fly ____________ 10. watch ____________
3. run ____________ 11. sit ____________
4. push ____________ 12. guess ____________
5. fix ____________ 13. stop ____________
6. do ____________ 14. worry ____________
7. dance ____________ 15. finish ____________
8. go ____________ 16. have ____________
What are the spelling rules for present simple third-person singular verb forms?
For most verbs, we add ______________________________________________________
For verbs ending with a consonant and -y, we _____________________________________
For verbs ending in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, -o, or -x, we add _______________________________
For the verb 'have', we _______________________________________________________
B. Underline the correct present simple verb form in each sentence
1. My family go / goes on holiday in the summer.
What do you understand
2. I often eat / eats dinner at my friend’s house. about subject-verb
3. Emma do / does her homework in the evening. agreement in the
present simple?
4. They play / plays badminton every afternoon.
5. Harry seldom listen / listens to me. _____________________
6. My brother never watch / watches television. _____________________
7. He never finish / finishes his homework on time.
_____________________
8. Mrs. White sweep / sweeps the floor twice a week.
9. My dog bark / barks at night. _____________________
10. You listen / listens to the radio every morning. _____________________
11. Becky and Liz go / goes to the swimming pool every week.
_____________________
12. I never feed / feeds my cat.
13. My parents live / lives in Paris. _____________________
14. We eat / eats eggs for breakfast.
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PRESENT SIMPLE AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Present Simple Practice
C. Complete the present simple affirmative and negative sentences with the verbs in
brackets.
1. T
om _______________ (not play) football. He likes to _______________ (play) computer
games.
2. Fish _______________ (not fly). They _______________ (swim).
3. I _______________ (wash) the dishes, but I _______________ (not put) them away.
4. T
hey _______________ (not clean) the kitchen, before they _______________ (eat)
dinner.
5. N
eil _______________ (try) to be a good boy, but he ______________ (not behave) well.
6. S
arah ______________ (brush) her hair every morning, before she ______________ (go)
to school.
7. I _______________ (not catch) a cold in the summer, but I often ______________
(catch) a cold in the winter.
8. The sun _______________ (not rise) in the west. It _______________ (rise) in the east.
9. N
atalie _______________ (not sit) in the sun. She rarely _______________ (go) to the
beach.
10. A spider _______________ (not have) wings. A bird _______________ (have) wings.
11. S
arah _______________ (not like) swimming. She _______________ (like) playing
tennis.
12. He _______________ (not be) American. He _______________ (be) Canadian.
13. T
hey _______________ (not do) their homework together. They _______________ (do)
it alone.
14. I _______________ (be) a student. I _______________ (not be) a teacher.
15. Class _______________ (start) at 9 o'clock. It _______________ (not start) at 8' clock.
What are the rules for negative verb forms in the present simple?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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PRESENT SIMPLE AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Present Simple Practice
Adverbs of frequency are often used with the present simple, because they indicate
repeated or routine actions and activities.
D. Rewrite the following present simple sentences, adding the adverb of frequency or
frequency expression in the correct position.
1. We are at home on Sunday. (often)
__________________________________________________________________________
2. I’m not busy on Monday. (usually)
__________________________________________________________________________
3. The cleaner works here. (five days a week)
__________________________________________________________________________
4. My parents visit me. (once a month)
__________________________________________________________________________
5. They are happy to have guests. (always)
__________________________________________________________________________
6. We have bacon for breakfast. (sometimes)
__________________________________________________________________________
7. Birds build their nests on this roof. (every summer)
__________________________________________________________________________
8. They sing very loudly. (generally)
__________________________________________________________________________
9. Sally is late for school. (rarely)
__________________________________________________________________________
10. Mike has lunch before one o’clock. (seldom)
__________________________________________________________________________
Where do we place adverbs of frequency in a sentence?
Sentence with the verb to be:__________________________________________________
Sentences with one main verb:_________________________________________________
Negative sentences:_________________________________________________________
Frequency expressions:_______________________________________________________
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