TEACHER'S NOTES
Present Simple Practice
ESL / EFL RESOURCES
Activity Type
Introduction
Reading and writing activity
In this productive lesson, students learn to identify the rules and verb forms associated with the present simple tense.
Procedure
Language Focus
Give each student a copy of the three worksheets.
Present simple subjectverb agreement
Students start by writing third-person singular verb forms, adding –s, -es, or –ies to the end of verbs.
Present simple affirmative and negative
When the students have finished, go through the answers and then have them complete the spelling rules for third-person singular verb forms by going through their list of verbs.
Third-person singular verb forms Adverbs of frequency and frequency expressions
Students then underline or circle the correct verb form in a set of present simple sentences and write what they understand about subject-verb agreement in the present simple.
Aim
After that, the students fill in the correct verb forms in affirmative and negative sentences and write the rules for negative verb forms in the present simple.
To identify the rules and verb forms associated with the present simple tense.
Preparation Make one copy of the three worksheets for each student.
Finally, students rewrite sentences, adding adverbs of frequency and frequency expressions in the correct position. After which, they complete sentences, explaining the correct position of frequency adverbs and expressions in a sentence. "Answer key on the next page"
Level Pre-intermediate
Time 45 minutes
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TEACHER'S NOTES
Present Simple Practice
ESL / EFL RESOURCES
Activity Type
Answer Key
Reading and writing activity
Exercise A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Language Focus Present simple subjectverb agreement Present simple affirmative and negative sentences
Adverbs of frequency and frequency expressions
To identify the rules and verb forms associated with the present simple tense.
Preparation Make one copy of the three worksheets for each student.
9. buzzes 10. watches 11. sits 12. guesses 13. stops 14. worries 15. finishes 16. has
Exercise B
Third-person singular verb forms
Aim
teaches flies runs pushes fixes does dances goes
1. goes 2. eat 3. does 4. play 5. listens 6. watches 7. finishes 8. sweeps Exercise C 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
9. barks 10. listen 11. go 12. feed 13. live 14. eat 15. takes
doesn't play, play don't fly, swim wash, don't put don't clean, eat tries, doesn't behave
6. brushes, goes 7. don't catch, catch 8. doesn't rise, rises 9. doesn't sit, goes 10. doesn't have, has
Exercise D
Level
Possible answers are underlined
Pre-intermediate
1. We are often at home on Sunday. 2. I’m usually not busy on Monday. 3. The cleaner works here five days a week. 4. My parents visit me once a month. 5. They are always happy to have guests. 6. We sometimes have bacon for breakfast. 7. Birds build their nests on this roof every summer. 8. They generally sing very loudly. 9. Sally is rarely late for school. 10. Mike seldom has lunch before one o’clock. 11. We never laugh at people in pain. 12. My parents hardly ever help me with my homework.
Time 45 minutes
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PRESENT SIMPLE SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Present Simple Practice
ESL / EFL RESOURCES
For third-person singular verb forms in the present simple, we add -s, -es or -ies at the end of the verb. A. Add -s, -es or -ies to the following verbs.
1. teach
____________ 9. buzz
____________
2. fly
____________
10. watch
____________
3. run
____________
11. sit
____________
4. push
____________
12. guess
____________
5. fix
____________
13. stop
____________
6. do
____________
14. worry ____________
7. dance
____________
15. finish
____________
8. go ____________ 16. have ____________
What are the spelling rules for present simple third-person singular verb forms? For most verbs, we add ______________________________________________________ For verbs ending with a consonant and -y, we _____________________________________ For verbs ending in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, -o, or -x, we add _______________________________ For the verb 'have', we _______________________________________________________ B. Underline or circle the correct present simple verb form in each sentence. 1. My family go / goes on holiday in the summer. 2. I often eat / eats dinner at my friend’s house. 3. Emma do / does her homework in the evening. 4. They play / plays badminton every afternoon.
What do you understand about subject-verb agreement in the present simple?
5. Harry seldom listen / listens to me. 6. My brother never watch / watches television. 7. He never finish / finishes his homework on time. 8. Mrs. White sweep / sweeps the floor twice a week. 9. My dog bark / barks at night. 10. You listen / listens to the radio every morning. 11. Becky and Liz go / goes to the swimming pool every week. 12. I never feed / feeds my cat. 13. My parents live / lives in Paris. 14. We eat / eats eggs for breakfast. 15. She take / takes a shower every morning. Teach-This.com © 2017 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
PRESENT SIMPLE SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT ESL / EFL RESOURCES
Present Simple Practice
C. Complete the present simple affirmative and negative sentences with the verbs in brackets. 1. T om _______________ (not play) football. He likes to _______________ (play) computer games. 2. Fish _______________ (not fly). They _______________ (swim). 3. I _______________ (wash) the dishes, but I _______________ (not put) them away. 4. T hey _______________ (not clean) the kitchen, before they _______________ (eat) dinner. 5. N eil _______________ (try) to be a good boy, but he ______________ (not behave) well. 6. S arah ______________ (brush) her hair every morning, before she ______________ (go) to school. 7. I _______________ (not catch) a cold in the summer, but I often ______________ (catch) a cold in the winter. 8. The sun _______________ (not rise) in the west. It _______________ (rise) in the east. 9. N atalie _______________ (not sit) in the sun. She rarely _______________ (go) to the beach. 10. A spider _______________ (not have) wings. A bird _______________ (have) wings.
What are the rules for negative verb forms in the present simple?
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PRESENT SIMPLE SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Present Simple Practice
ESL / EFL RESOURCES
Adverbs of frequency are often used with the present simple, because they indicate repeated or routine actions and activities. D. Rewrite the following present simple sentences, adding the adverb of frequency or frequency expression in the correct position. 1. We are at home on Sunday. (often) _______________________________________________________________________ 2. I’m not busy on Monday. (usually) _______________________________________________________________________ 3. The cleaner works here. (five days a week) _______________________________________________________________________ 4. My parents visit me. (once a month) _______________________________________________________________________ 5. They are happy to have guests. (always) _______________________________________________________________________ 6. We have bacon for breakfast. (sometimes) _______________________________________________________________________ 7. Birds build their nests on this roof. (every summer) _______________________________________________________________________ 8. They sing very loudly. (generally) _______________________________________________________________________ 9. Sally is late for school. (rarely) _______________________________________________________________________ 10. Mike has lunch before one o’clock. (seldom) _______________________________________________________________________ 11. We laugh at people in pain. (never) _______________________________________________________________________ 12. My parents help me with my homework. (hardly ever) _______________________________________________________________________
Where do we place adverbs of frequency in a sentence? Sentence with the verb to be:__________________________________________________ Sentences with one main verb:_________________________________________________ Negative sentences:_________________________________________________________ Frequency expressions:_______________________________________________________
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