Present Simple tense practice worksheet for English learners.
A colorful ESL worksheet titled "Present Simple" with exercises on verb conjugation, sentence rewriting, and question formation, featuring a cartoon girl and a red border.
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Step-by-step solution for: Present Simple Tense ESL Grammar Exercises Test Worksheet
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Present Simple Tense ESL Grammar Exercises Test Worksheet
Let's solve each section of this Present Simple grammar worksheet step by step and explain the solutions.
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In the third person singular (he/she/it), we add -s or -es to the base verb, depending on the verb:
1. go → goes
2. swim → swims
3. run → runs
4. study → studies
5. paint → paints
6. drive → drives
7. do → does
8. buy → buys
9. play → plays
10. brush → brushes
11. like → likes
12. watch → watches
Now fill in the rest:
13. leave → leaves
14. wash → washes
15. carry → carries
16. help → helps
17. answer → answers
18. have → has
19. read → reads
20. stay → stays
21. phone → phones
22. write → writes
23. tidy → tidies
24. want → wants
✔ Explanation: For regular verbs, add -s (e.g., *go → goes*). If the verb ends in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o, add -es (e.g., *watch → watches*). Verbs ending in consonant + y → change y to i + es (e.g., *study → studies*). Verbs like *have* become *has*, and *do* becomes *does*.
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We need to change the subject and adjust the verb accordingly.
1. Kelly doesn't work on Saturdays. → Joe and Sue don't work on Saturdays.
✔ "Joe and Sue" = plural → use don't (not doesn't)
2. They have breakfast on the balcony. → Maria has breakfast on the balcony.
✔ Maria is singular → use has
3. I don't prefer drinking apple juice. → My aunt doesn't prefer drinking apple juice.
✔ My aunt is singular → use doesn't
4. Does Sally read short stories? → Do Pam and Laura read short stories?
✔ Pam and Laura = plural → use Do
5. She doesn't like to live in a city. → They don't like to live in a city.
✔ They = plural → use don't
6. I go to school by school bus. → The students go to school by school bus.
✔ Students = plural → use go
7. Do the Browns have a caravan? → Does Mr. Telling have a caravan?
✔ Mr. Telling = singular → use Does
8. We don't speak Japanese or French. → She doesn't speak Japanese or French.
✔ She = singular → use doesn't
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Use Do for plural subjects or "I/you/we/they". Use Does for singular subjects (he/she/it).
1. ___ your father work in an office? → Does
✔ "your father" = singular
2. ___ she have any coloured pencils? → Does
✔ "she" = singular
3. ___ they brush their teeth after breakfast? → Do
✔ "they" = plural
4. ___ Rachel visit the museums in the city? → Does
✔ "Rachel" = singular
5. ___ you study at an elementary school? → Do
✔ "you" = second person
6. ___ we have any cheese in the fridge? → Do
✔ "we" = plural
7. ___ Mrs. Smith drive to work? → Does
✔ "Mrs. Smith" = singular
8. ___ the train arrive at eleven o'clock? → Does
✔ "the train" = singular
9. ___ Clara and John play checkers? → Do
✔ "Clara and John" = plural
10. ___ your best friend listen to rock music? → Does
✔ "your best friend" = singular
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Use don't for plural or "I/you/we/they". Use doesn't for singular.
1. I ___ do my homework after dinner. → don't
✔ "I" = first person
2. Terry ___ write postcards on special days. → doesn't
✔ "Terry" = singular
3. We ___ want a new house in the city. → don't
✔ "We" = plural
4. Larry and George ___ play in the team. → don't
✔ Two people = plural
5. My uncle ___ go walking every Sunday. → doesn't
✔ "My uncle" = singular
6. The Browns ___ watch TV on weekdays. → don't
✔ "The Browns" = plural family name → treated as plural
7. They ___ visit the animal shelter. → don't
✔ "They" = plural
8. Mrs. Cutter ___ stay at a big hotel. → doesn't
✔ "Mrs. Cutter" = singular
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To make a sentence negative in Present Simple:
- Add don't (for I/you/we/they/plural) or doesn't (for he/she/it/singular)
- Keep the main verb in base form (no -s)
1. Bruce works at a factory in the city center.
→ Bruce doesn't work at a factory in the city center.
2. They visit their grandparents every weekend.
→ They don't visit their grandparents every weekend.
3. My classmates study English before school.
→ My classmates don't study English before school.
4. She likes pop music and adventure stories.
→ She doesn't like pop music and adventure stories.
5. I play the drum in the school band.
→ I don't play the drum in the school band.
6. Our aunt cooks delicious chocolate cakes for us.
→ Our aunt doesn't cook delicious chocolate cakes for us.
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We need to form questions based on the underlined parts.
1. She phones her best friend twice a week.
→ How often does she phone her best friend?
2. Rita washes her cat in the garden every Sunday.
→ Where does Rita wash her cat every Sunday?
3. My parents do the housework every weekend.
→ What do my parents do every weekend?
4. Peter buys bread and milk every morning.
→ When does Peter buy bread and milk?
5. My cousins go to school by their bicycles.
→ How do my cousins go to school?
✔ Explanation:
- "twice a week" → frequency → How often?
- "the garden" → place → Where?
- "do the housework" → action → What?
- "every morning" → time → When?
- "by their bicycles" → means of transport → How?
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#### A) Third Person Singular:
1. goes 2. swims 3. runs 4. studies 5. paints 6. drives
7. does 8. buys 9. plays 10. brushes 11. likes 12. watches
13. leaves 14. washes 15. carries 16. helps 17. answers 18. has
19. reads 20. stays 21. phones 22. writes 23. tidies 24. wants
#### B) Rewritten Sentences:
1. Joe and Sue don't work on Saturdays.
2. Maria has breakfast on the balcony.
3. My aunt doesn't prefer drinking apple juice.
4. Do Pam and Laura read short stories?
5. They don't like to live in a city.
6. The students go to school by school bus.
7. Does Mr. Telling have a caravan?
8. She doesn't speak Japanese or French.
#### C) Do / Does:
1. Does 2. Does 3. Do 4. Does 5. Do 6. Do 7. Does 8. Does 9. Do 10. Does
#### D) Don't / Doesn't:
1. don't 2. doesn't 3. don't 4. don't 5. doesn't 6. don't 7. don't 8. doesn't
#### E) Negative Sentences:
1. Bruce doesn't work at a factory in the city center.
2. They don't visit their grandparents every weekend.
3. My classmates don't study English before school.
4. She doesn't like pop music and adventure stories.
5. I don't play the drum in the school band.
6. Our aunt doesn't cook delicious chocolate cakes for us.
#### F) Questions:
1. How often does she phone her best friend?
2. Where does Rita wash her cat every Sunday?
3. What do my parents do every weekend?
4. When does Peter buy bread and milk?
5. How do my cousins go to school?
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Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable PDF or want explanations in another language!
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A) Write the third person singular form of the verbs below.
In the third person singular (he/she/it), we add -s or -es to the base verb, depending on the verb:
1. go → goes
2. swim → swims
3. run → runs
4. study → studies
5. paint → paints
6. drive → drives
7. do → does
8. buy → buys
9. play → plays
10. brush → brushes
11. like → likes
12. watch → watches
Now fill in the rest:
13. leave → leaves
14. wash → washes
15. carry → carries
16. help → helps
17. answer → answers
18. have → has
19. read → reads
20. stay → stays
21. phone → phones
22. write → writes
23. tidy → tidies
24. want → wants
✔ Explanation: For regular verbs, add -s (e.g., *go → goes*). If the verb ends in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o, add -es (e.g., *watch → watches*). Verbs ending in consonant + y → change y to i + es (e.g., *study → studies*). Verbs like *have* become *has*, and *do* becomes *does*.
---
B) Rewrite the sentences with the subjects in brackets.
We need to change the subject and adjust the verb accordingly.
1. Kelly doesn't work on Saturdays. → Joe and Sue don't work on Saturdays.
✔ "Joe and Sue" = plural → use don't (not doesn't)
2. They have breakfast on the balcony. → Maria has breakfast on the balcony.
✔ Maria is singular → use has
3. I don't prefer drinking apple juice. → My aunt doesn't prefer drinking apple juice.
✔ My aunt is singular → use doesn't
4. Does Sally read short stories? → Do Pam and Laura read short stories?
✔ Pam and Laura = plural → use Do
5. She doesn't like to live in a city. → They don't like to live in a city.
✔ They = plural → use don't
6. I go to school by school bus. → The students go to school by school bus.
✔ Students = plural → use go
7. Do the Browns have a caravan? → Does Mr. Telling have a caravan?
✔ Mr. Telling = singular → use Does
8. We don't speak Japanese or French. → She doesn't speak Japanese or French.
✔ She = singular → use doesn't
---
C) Fill in the blanks with Do or Does
Use Do for plural subjects or "I/you/we/they". Use Does for singular subjects (he/she/it).
1. ___ your father work in an office? → Does
✔ "your father" = singular
2. ___ she have any coloured pencils? → Does
✔ "she" = singular
3. ___ they brush their teeth after breakfast? → Do
✔ "they" = plural
4. ___ Rachel visit the museums in the city? → Does
✔ "Rachel" = singular
5. ___ you study at an elementary school? → Do
✔ "you" = second person
6. ___ we have any cheese in the fridge? → Do
✔ "we" = plural
7. ___ Mrs. Smith drive to work? → Does
✔ "Mrs. Smith" = singular
8. ___ the train arrive at eleven o'clock? → Does
✔ "the train" = singular
9. ___ Clara and John play checkers? → Do
✔ "Clara and John" = plural
10. ___ your best friend listen to rock music? → Does
✔ "your best friend" = singular
---
D) Fill in the blanks with don't or doesn't
Use don't for plural or "I/you/we/they". Use doesn't for singular.
1. I ___ do my homework after dinner. → don't
✔ "I" = first person
2. Terry ___ write postcards on special days. → doesn't
✔ "Terry" = singular
3. We ___ want a new house in the city. → don't
✔ "We" = plural
4. Larry and George ___ play in the team. → don't
✔ Two people = plural
5. My uncle ___ go walking every Sunday. → doesn't
✔ "My uncle" = singular
6. The Browns ___ watch TV on weekdays. → don't
✔ "The Browns" = plural family name → treated as plural
7. They ___ visit the animal shelter. → don't
✔ "They" = plural
8. Mrs. Cutter ___ stay at a big hotel. → doesn't
✔ "Mrs. Cutter" = singular
---
E) Rewrite these sentences making them negative.
To make a sentence negative in Present Simple:
- Add don't (for I/you/we/they/plural) or doesn't (for he/she/it/singular)
- Keep the main verb in base form (no -s)
1. Bruce works at a factory in the city center.
→ Bruce doesn't work at a factory in the city center.
2. They visit their grandparents every weekend.
→ They don't visit their grandparents every weekend.
3. My classmates study English before school.
→ My classmates don't study English before school.
4. She likes pop music and adventure stories.
→ She doesn't like pop music and adventure stories.
5. I play the drum in the school band.
→ I don't play the drum in the school band.
6. Our aunt cooks delicious chocolate cakes for us.
→ Our aunt doesn't cook delicious chocolate cakes for us.
---
F) Read the answers and write questions to the underlined words.
We need to form questions based on the underlined parts.
1. She phones her best friend twice a week.
→ How often does she phone her best friend?
2. Rita washes her cat in the garden every Sunday.
→ Where does Rita wash her cat every Sunday?
3. My parents do the housework every weekend.
→ What do my parents do every weekend?
4. Peter buys bread and milk every morning.
→ When does Peter buy bread and milk?
5. My cousins go to school by their bicycles.
→ How do my cousins go to school?
✔ Explanation:
- "twice a week" → frequency → How often?
- "the garden" → place → Where?
- "do the housework" → action → What?
- "every morning" → time → When?
- "by their bicycles" → means of transport → How?
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✔ Final Answer Summary:
#### A) Third Person Singular:
1. goes 2. swims 3. runs 4. studies 5. paints 6. drives
7. does 8. buys 9. plays 10. brushes 11. likes 12. watches
13. leaves 14. washes 15. carries 16. helps 17. answers 18. has
19. reads 20. stays 21. phones 22. writes 23. tidies 24. wants
#### B) Rewritten Sentences:
1. Joe and Sue don't work on Saturdays.
2. Maria has breakfast on the balcony.
3. My aunt doesn't prefer drinking apple juice.
4. Do Pam and Laura read short stories?
5. They don't like to live in a city.
6. The students go to school by school bus.
7. Does Mr. Telling have a caravan?
8. She doesn't speak Japanese or French.
#### C) Do / Does:
1. Does 2. Does 3. Do 4. Does 5. Do 6. Do 7. Does 8. Does 9. Do 10. Does
#### D) Don't / Doesn't:
1. don't 2. doesn't 3. don't 4. don't 5. doesn't 6. don't 7. don't 8. doesn't
#### E) Negative Sentences:
1. Bruce doesn't work at a factory in the city center.
2. They don't visit their grandparents every weekend.
3. My classmates don't study English before school.
4. She doesn't like pop music and adventure stories.
5. I don't play the drum in the school band.
6. Our aunt doesn't cook delicious chocolate cakes for us.
#### F) Questions:
1. How often does she phone her best friend?
2. Where does Rita wash her cat every Sunday?
3. What do my parents do every weekend?
4. When does Peter buy bread and milk?
5. How do my cousins go to school?
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Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable PDF or want explanations in another language!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of simple worksheet esl.
