Present Simple (Business English) - Adult Learners Worksheet - ESL - Free Printable

This worksheet is titled "Grammar for Beginners: Verbs" and focuses on subject-verb agreement, specifically how to choose the correct form of the verb (singular or plural) based on the subject. The goal is to fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb provided in parentheses.

Let’s go through the rules first:

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules:

- Singular subjects: Use singular verbs.
- I, you, he, she, it → use talk/go, talks/goes
- Plural subjects: Use plural verbs.
- we, you, they → use talk/go

Note: "You" can be singular or plural, but in this context, it's treated as plural unless specified otherwise.

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Now let’s solve each sentence one by one.

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Left Column (Singular Subjects):

1. drive My dad ________ his car to work every day.
→ *My dad* is singular → drives

2. work She ________ in the morning before school.
→ *She* is singular → works

3. eat We ________ three meals a day.
→ *We* is plural → eat

4. watch He ________ television in the morning.
→ *He* is singular → watches

5. ride My sister ________ her bike for school.
→ *My sister* is singular → rides

6. listen They ________ to their iPods when they run.
→ *They* is plural → listen

7. sleep A cat ________ many hours every day.
→ *A cat* is singular → sleeps

8. practice The football team ________ every Wednesday.
→ *The football team* is a collective noun, but here treated as plural → practices (but note: some treat “team” as singular; however, in beginner grammar, often plural is used)

9. shine The sun ________ every day.
→ *The sun* is singular → shines

10. eat They ________ too much.
→ *They* is plural → eat

11. do Mum ________ the dishes.
→ *Mum* is singular → does

12. go I ________ to school five days a week.
→ *I* is singular → go

13. work He ________ many cars.
→ This seems incorrect. Probably meant: *He works on many cars.* But assuming the verb is “work”, then → works

14. sing She ________ beautifully.
→ *She* is singular → sings

15. like I ________ to ride my bike.
→ *I* is singular → like

16. read You ________ too little.
→ *You* (singular) → read (note: “you” takes same form as plural)

17. read She ________ a book every week.
→ *She* is singular → reads

18. be Nate ________ a naughty boy!
→ *Nate* is singular → is

19. see He ________ nothing!
→ *He* is singular → sees

20. make I ________ them a cup of tea.
→ *I* is singular → make

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Right Column (Plural Subjects):

21. see The woman ________ newspapers.
→ *The woman* is singular → sees

22. catch I never ________ birds.
→ *I* is singular → catch

23. buy I ________ candy once a month.
→ *I* is singular → buy

24. like My brother and his friends ________ to play golf.
→ *My brother and his friends* = plural → like

25. be There ________ oil on the floor.
→ "There" + "oil" → "oil" is uncountable, singular → is

26. walk I often ________ to the library.
→ *I* is singular → walk

27. go They often ________ to the cinema to watch a film.
→ *They* is plural → go

28. drink The boy ________ milk every day.
→ *The boy* is singular → drinks

29. speak He ________ good English.
→ *He* is singular → speaks

30. work They ________ in the big factory on the corner of the street.
→ *They* is plural → work

31. look The animals in the zoo ________ hungry.
→ *The animals* is plural → look

32. ride The postman ________ his bike when on work.
→ *The postman* is singular → rides

33. play My father sometimes ________ soccer with his friends.
→ *My father* is singular → plays

34. like We ________ to do our homework together.
→ *We* is plural → like

35. leave The plane ________ in an hour.
→ *The plane* is singular → leaves

36. wash My neighbor ________ his car every Sunday.
→ *My neighbor* is singular → washes

37. iron Mom ________ the clothes every week.
→ *Mom* is singular → irons

38. go I always ________ to bed before 10 pm.
→ *I* is singular → go

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Final Answers:

#### Left Column:
1. drives
2. works
3. eat
4. watches
5. rides
6. listen
7. sleeps
8. practices
9. shines
10. eat
11. does
12. go
13. works
14. sings
15. like
16. read
17. reads
18. is
19. sees
20. make

#### Right Column:
21. sees
22. catch
23. buy
24. like
25. is
26. walk
27. go
28. drinks
29. speaks
30. work
31. look
32. rides
33. plays
34. like
35. leaves
36. washes
37. irons
38. go

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Summary:

- Pay attention to the subject of each sentence.
- Singular subjects take -s/-es endings (except for "I" and "you").
- Plural subjects take base form of the verb.
- Exceptions: "I" and "you" use base form even though they are singular in meaning.

This exercise helps reinforce subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar rule in English.

Let me know if you'd like this in a printable format or need explanations for any specific sentence!