Present Simple: I do, I don't, Do I?

My name is David and I am an engineer. I usually get up at seven o’clock in the morning on weekdays. I have breakfast and then I drive to my office. My wife, Elena, is a teacher. She doesn’t drive to work; she takes the bus. She teaches Spanish in a big school.

In the afternoon, we finish work at five o’clock. We go home and cook dinner together. Elena cooks very well, but I don’t. After dinner, we usually watch TV or read a book. We don’t go to bed late because we work every day. At the weekend, we don’t work. We visit our parents or play tennis in the park. Do you play tennis too?

When to use the Present Simple

The Present Simple is used for:

• Daily routines and habits
• Fixed schedules and timetables
• General truths and facts
• Likes, dislikes, and preferences

It is the backbone of everyday conversation. In English you need auxiliary verbs do and does to form questions and negatives – a structure that does not exist in Spanish.

Subject pronouns recap

Note: The auxiliary does is only for third‑person singular (he/she/it). The main verb always stays in its base form (no -s).

Forming the affirmative

For I/you/we/they the verb stays unchanged:

• I work.
• You play.
• We watch TV.
• They study.

For he/she/it, add ‑s / ‑es to the main verb:

Negative sentences

Add the auxiliary do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t) before the base verb.

Warning: When using doesn’t, drop the -s from the main verb: She doesn’t work, not works.

Yes/No questions

Place the auxiliary at the beginning, followed by the subject and the base verb.

• Do you like coffee?
• Does she live in London?
• Do they work on weekends?

Wh‑questions (information questions)

Add a question word before the auxiliary:

• What do you do on Saturdays?
• Where does he work?
• How do they get to school?

Pronunciation notes

• do /dəʊ/ and does /dʌz/ are often reduced to a weak schwa in fast speech.
• The ‑s / ‑es ending has three sounds:
  1. /s/ after voiceless consonants (e.g., works /wɜːks/)
  2. /z/ after voiced sounds (e.g., plays /pleɪz/)
  3. /ɪz/ after sibilants (e.g., washes /ˈwɒʃɪz/)

Common errors for Spanish speakers

• Missing auxiliary: You work? → Do you work?
• Double negative: I don’t never… → I never…
• Keeping -s after does: She doesn’t works → She doesn’t work
• Omitting the subject: Work every day. → I work every day.

Vocabulary for daily routines

Mini‑dialogue (listening practice)

Listening comprehension

1. Does Mark work in the building?
2. Where does Mark work?
3. Does Mark work on Saturdays?
4. What is Sarah’s job?
5. Does Sarah’s husband work in an office?

Writing practice

Write a short paragraph (6‑8 sentences) describing a friend’s daily routine. Use ‑s / ‑es for third‑person affirmative verbs and doesn’t for negatives.

Example: My friend Laura is a nurse. She gets up at six a.m. She goes to the hospital by bus. She doesn’t eat breakfast at home; she eats at the cafeteria. In the afternoon she studies Spanish. She doesn’t watch TV because she is very busy.