Lesson 2 · Lesson guide
Present Simple — Review and He/She/It Spelling
Hello, my dear student!
Hello, my dear student!
You already know many verbs: work, live, study, go. In this lesson we use them in the Present Simple, the tense for your habits, your daily routine and facts. It is the tense you need most in IELTS Speaking Part 1: What do you do in the morning? Where do you live?
The small letter -s is the big problem. I work, but she works. I study, but he studies. Today you will learn when to add -s, -es or -ies, how to say them, and how to make negatives and questions with don’t, doesn’t, do and does.
See you in the exercises,Your teacher
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Present Simple step by step
Four rules. Read each one and say the examples out loud.
Rule 1
When do we use it?
For habits and routines (every day, usually, on Sundays), for facts that are always true, and for timetables.
- I get up at seven every day.(Men har kuni soat yettida turaman.)
- Water boils at 100 degrees.(Suv 100 darajada qaynaydi.)
- The train leaves at nine o’clock.(Poyezd soat toʻqqizda joʻnaydi.)
Rule 2
He, she, it: add -s
With I, you, we and they, the verb does not change. With he, she or it, and with one person or thing (my mum, the city), add -s.
- I live in Tashkent.(Men Toshkentda yashayman.)
- My sister lives in Bukhara.(Opam Buxoroda yashaydi.)
Rule 3
Negatives: don’t and doesn’t
I, you, we, they + don’t. He, she, it + doesn’t. After don’t and doesn’t, the verb has no -s.
- I don’t drink coffee.(Men qahva ichmayman.)
- Aziz doesn’t drink coffee.(Aziz qahva ichmaydi.)
Rule 4
Questions: Do and Does
Do or Does comes first, then the subject, then the verb with no -s. Short answers: Yes, I do. / No, she doesn’t.
- Do you work? Yes, I do.(Ishlaysizmi? Ha, ishlayman.)
- Does she like tea? No, she doesn’t.(U choyni yoqtiradimi? Yoʻq, yoqtirmaydi.)
Remember!
He, she, it: add -s. But after doesn’t and does, the verb has no -s: She works. She doesn’t work. Does she work?
He, she, it: how to spell the -s
Most verbs just add -s. Look at the end of the verb: some verbs change.
Most verbs
Add -s
work → works, read → reads, like → likes, play → plays.
- She reads a lot.(U koʻp kitob oʻqiydi.)
- He likes music.(U musiqani yaxshi koʻradi.)
s, ss, sh, ch, x, o
Add -es
After s, ss, sh, ch, x and o, add -es: miss → misses, wash → washes, watch → watches, fix → fixes, go → goes, do → does.
- He watches films.(U film koʻradi.)
- She goes to bed at eleven.(U soat oʻn birda uxlashga yotadi.)
consonant + y
y → -ies
A consonant before y: change y to i and add -es: study → studies, fly → flies, cry → cries. A vowel (a, e, o, u) before y: just add -s: play → plays, buy → buys, enjoy → enjoys.
- Lola studies at night.(Lola kechasi dars qiladi.)
- Bekzod plays chess.(Bekzod shaxmat oʻynaydi.)
have
have → has
Have is special: he has, she has, it has. Never “haves”.
- She has two brothers.(Uning ikkita aka-ukasi bor.)
- My city has a big park.(Shahrimda katta bogʻ bor.)
Remember!
Ends in s, ss, sh, ch, x or o? Add -es. Consonant + y? Change y to -ies. Have? Write has.
Three sounds of -s
The -s ending has three sounds. Tap each sentence to hear it.
She works in a bank.
(U bankda ishlaydi.)
/s/ after the sounds k, p, t, f
He helps his mum at home.
/s/: helps
He plays football.
(U futbol oʻynaydi.)
/z/ after vowels and sounds like l, n, d, v
She lives in Andijan.
/z/: lives
He watches TV.
(U televizor koʻradi.)
/ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, x: one more syllable
The lesson finishes at five.
/ɪz/: fin-ish-es
Remember!
Only /ɪz/ adds a syllable: watch → watch-es. Works and plays still have one syllable.
IELTS Speaking Part 1: your daily routine
Listen to Malika. Notice the verbs with -s when she talks about her family.
- Examiner
Let’s talk about your daily routine. What do you usually do in the morning?
- Malika
I usually get up at half past six. I have breakfast with my family, and then I take the bus to university.
- Examiner
Do you like mornings?
- Malika
Not really. My sister gets up at five, but I don’t. I love sleeping!
- Examiner
What does your family do in the evening?
- Malika
My father watches the news, and my mother reads. My little brother plays computer games.
- Examiner
Do you study in the evening?
- Malika
Yes, I do. I study English for an hour every evening.
Malika uses I + verb for herself and verb + -s for one other person: gets, watches, reads, plays. She also adds a second sentence to her answers.
Mistakes I hear every day
Not: My mother work in a school.Say: My mother works in a school.
My mother = she, so add -s.
Not: He studys every day.Say: He studies every day.
Consonant + y: y changes to -ies.
Not: She doesn’t likes tea.Say: She doesn’t like tea.
Doesn’t already shows he/she/it. The verb after it has no -s.
Not: Does he works here?Say: Does he work here?
After does, the verb has no -s.
Not: He don’t eat meat.Say: He doesn’t eat meat.
He, she, it + doesn’t.
Not: My brother haves a car.Say: My brother has a car.
Have → has. There is no “haves”.
Not: I am live in Samarkand.Say: I live in Samarkand.
Live is already a verb. Don’t add am, is or are.
Check yourself
Write the he/she/it form: watch, study, play, have.
Make it negative: My father drinks coffee.
Make a question: Lola lives in Samarkand.
Which verb has an extra syllable: works, plays or washes?
Now it’s your turn!
6 short parts, each a little harder than the one before. Take your time: mistakes are how we learn.
— Your teacher