The Simple Present is a grammatical tense that is used when we talk about something that happens always, usually or habitually. It happened in the past, it happens now, and it will probably happen in the future. To form the simple present, we use the following conjugation table.
Regular Verb Conjugation of “Do/Work/Like”
Examples:
I do my homework every night.
She reads books.
We like the new apartment.
When forming the simple present, we have to be mindful of the third person: For He, She, and It we always add an “s” at the end of the verb.
However, there are some spelling exceptions:
When a verb ends in –s /-ss /-ch /-sh / –x / –z, or in –o (go, do), we add -es.
Examples:
I wash – He/She/It washes.
I miss – He/She/It misses.
I fetch – He/She/It fetches.
I fix – He/She/It fixes.
I go – He/She/It goes.
When a verb ends in consonant-y, we remove the “y” and add –ies.
Examples:
I cry – He/She/It cries.
I try – He/She/It tries.
I fly – He/She/It flies.
Note: This rule does not apply to verbs ending in vowel-y, or verbs that end in a double vowel.
I pay – He/She/It pays. (not “paies”)
I say – He/She/It says. (not “saies”)
I see – He/She/It sees (not “seies”)
I sue – He/She/It sues (not “suies”)
When expressing something in the present tense negative, we use “do not – don’t” (for he/she/it: “does not – doesn’t”).
Regular Verb Conjugation of “Do/Work/Like” in the negative
Examples:
I do not work on Sundays.
We do not like the new apartment.
She does not read books.
Questions
Do/Does + subject + base verb (infinitive without “to”)
