Common mistake: “Sofía work in Medellín.” — Correct: “Sofía works in Medellín.”
We use the present simple to talk about routines and things we always do; with he/she/it the verb takes an '-s' at the end.
The third-person '-s'
Subject
Verb
Example
I / You / We / They
work
They work
He / She / It
works
She works
Negative / Question
do / does
Does she work?
wake up — despertarse
have breakfast — desayunar
go to work — ir al trabajo
start / finish — empezar / terminar
get home — llegar a casa
cook dinner — cocinar la cena
go to bed — irse a dormir
work / works — trabaja
Sofía wakes up at six and works in Medellín.
She has breakfast and goes to work.
Her brother starts work at nine.
Sofía does not work on Sundays.
She doesn't watch TV in the morning.
Does Sofía cook dinner every night?
What time do you get home?
Does she work in Medellín? Yes, she does.
Do you wake up early? No, I don't.
Practice
Sofía ___ up at six o'clock. (wake, wakes, waking)
___ she work in Medellín? (Do, Does, Is)
With he/she/it, we add '-s' to the verb in the present simple.
She ___ breakfast before she goes to work. (have)
Sofía ___ not work on Sundays.
Unscramble: work, Sofía, at, starts, eight, .
Find the mistake: She go to work at seven.
Sofía cooks dinner every night. — Make it negative (use 'does not').
Sofía wakes up early. — Turn it into a question (use 'does').
What time do you wake up? (Answer with a full sentence.)
Listening
Kenji: What does Sofía do every day?
Ben: She wakes up at six and has breakfast.
Kenji: And then?
Ben: She goes to work. She starts at eight.
Kenji: Does she cook dinner?
Ben: Yes, she does. Then she goes to bed early.
Reading
Sofía is a designer in Medellín. Every day she wakes up at six o'clock. She has breakfast, and then she goes to work. She starts at eight and finishes at five. In the evening, she cooks dinner and goes to bed early. She does not work on Sundays; she rests and visits her family.
Sofía wakes up at six o'clock.
She finishes work at eight.
Sofía does not work on Sundays.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do we add -s or -es in the Present Simple?
Only in the affirmative form with third-person singular subjects (He, She, It). For example: 'She works', 'He watches', 'It rains'. For I, You, We, They, the verb stays in its base form ('I work', 'They watch').
Do we add -s to the verb in negative sentences or questions?
No! The auxiliary 'does' already carries the third-person marker: 'Does she work here?' (not 'does she works') and 'He doesn't like coffee' (not 'doesn't likes').
How do you know whether to use Present Simple or Present Continuous?
Present Simple is for habits, routines, and permanent truths ('I drink coffee every morning'). Present Continuous is for actions happening right now at this exact moment ('I am drinking coffee right now').