Basics: Present Simple - Form and Use: correct answers
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This challenge contains 15 questions at easy difficulty covering Present Simple: Form and Use (I do/work/like). Test your knowledge with a mix of question formats!
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Correct answers
Question 1
The correct answers are She always drinks three cups of espresso before talking. and She washes her pet iguana in the kitchen sink.
We use the Present Simple to talk about habits and routines. For the third-person singular ("she", "he", "it"), we must add -s or -es to the base verb (drinks, washes).
"Trys" is incorrect because verbs ending in a consonant + "y" change the "y" to "i" and add "-es" (tries).
Question 2
A giant panda spends up to 14 hours a day eating bamboo. It does not have time for much else! However, wild pandas live solitary lives and rarely meet each other in the forest.
"A giant panda" is singular (it), so the verb takes an -s: spends.
The negative form for "it" requires does not (or doesn't).
"Wild pandas" is plural (they), so we use the base form of the verb without an -s: live.
Question 3
Help the exhausted college student complain about her roommate's morning routine by choosing the correct verb.
Every morning at 5:00 AM, my roommate ______ the blender to make a kale and garlic smoothie.
The correct answer is uses.
We use the Present Simple to talk about habits and routines. Because "my roommate" is a third-person singular subject (he/she), we must add an "-s" to the base verb "use."
Question 4
Help the frustrated owner complete the diary entry about their very lazy cat by choosing the correct verb for each blank.
My cat, Sir Pounce, sleeps for 18 hours a day. He doesn't catch mice because he thinks it's too much work. Instead, he just waits by his food bowl until I feed him.
My cat, Sir Pounce, sleeps for 18 hours a day.
We add an "-s" to the base verb for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, or "My cat") in the present simple tense.
He doesn't catch mice because he thinks it's too much work.
To make a negative sentence for a third-person singular subject, we use "doesn't" (does not) followed by the base form of the verb.
Instead, he just waits by his food bowl until I feed him.
Again, "he" is a third-person singular subject, so the verb "wait" needs an "-s" at the end.
Question 5
Choose the correct verbs to help the quirky science teacher finish her presentation on universal facts.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius, but my coffee gets cold in exactly five minutes. The Earth goes around the Sun, while my dog runs around the kitchen table.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius,
We use the present simple to talk about facts and general truths. "Water" is an uncountable noun, so we treat it as a singular subject and add "-s" to the verb.
but my coffee gets cold in exactly five minutes.
"My coffee" is a singular subject (it), so the verb "get" becomes "gets".
The Earth goes around the Sun, while my dog runs around the kitchen table.
"The Earth" is a singular subject. For verbs ending in -o (like "go" or "do"), we add "-es" for the third-person singular form.
Question 6
"Do you know anything about the missing tuna?" the detective asked.
The cat just blinked.
"Does your owner usually buy that expensive brand? Answer me! Why do you look so guilty?"
To form questions in the Present Simple, use Do or Does before the subject.
Use Do for I, you, we, and they ("Do you know?", "Why do you look?").
Use Does for he, she, and it ("Does your owner buy?").
Question 7
Choose the correct phrase to complete the biology student's fun fact.
Despite what cartoon cats might suggest, a real feline ______ sweet things because of a genetic mutation.
The correct answer is doesn't taste.
To form the negative Present Simple for a third-person singular subject ("a real feline" = it), we use doesn't (does not) followed by the base form of the verb (taste). We do not add an "-s" to the main verb in negative sentences.
Question 8
Please leave the mushrooms off the pizza. My friend Gary hates them. He doesn't like anything green either. We want extra cheese instead, please!
"Gary" is third-person singular (he), so the affirmative verb needs an -s: hates.
For negative sentences with "he", use "doesn't" followed by the base verb without an -s: doesn't like.
"We" is plural, so it takes the base verb: want.
Question 9
The correct answers are Humans don't eat rocks for breakfast. and A normal human doesn't sleep hanging upside down.
To form negative sentences in the Present Simple, we use don't (do not) for I, you, we, they and doesn't (does not) for he, she, it.
"They" requires don't, and "The typical teenager" (he/she) requires doesn't.
Question 10
The correct answers are Do you bake these pies yourself?, Does your assistant know about the secret ingredient?, and Where do you keep the stolen diamonds?
To ask questions in the Present Simple, we use the auxiliary verbs Do or Does before the subject, followed by the base form of the main verb: (Wh- word) + do/does + subject + infinitive?
"The oven" is singular (it), so it requires Does. "You" requires Do.
Question 11
Help the detective piece together the suspects' weekly routine by choosing the correct word for each gap in the police report.
The detectives know that the thieves always steal garden gnomes on Fridays. However, the gang members never leave any footprints behind.
The detectives know that
"The detectives" is a plural subject (they). In the present simple, we use the base form of the verb without an "-s" for plural subjects.
the thieves always steal garden gnomes on Fridays.
"The thieves" is also plural (they). We use the base verb "steal" to describe their weekly habit.
However, the gang members never leave any footprints behind.
"The gang members" is plural. Even with frequency adverbs like "never" or "always", the verb stays in its base form for plural subjects.
Question 12
Select the grammatically correct question to help the confused customer at the hipster coffee shop.
The correct answer is Does this avocado latte contain actual coffee?
To ask a yes/no question in the Present Simple about a singular subject ("this avocado latte" = it), we start with the auxiliary verb Does, followed by the subject, and then the base form of the main verb ("contain" without an "-s").
Question 13
The correct answers are Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius., The Earth goes around the Sun., and Magnets attract iron.
The Present Simple is the perfect tense for stating general facts and universal truths!
Watch out for subject-verb agreement: "Plants" is plural, so it requires the base verb "need" (not "needs"). "Ice" is an uncountable singular noun, so it requires the verb "melts" (not "melt").
Question 14
My roommate wakes up at 6:00 AM every single day, but he doesn't make coffee for me. Instead, he just drinks a loud, fizzy energy drink and runs out the door!
Use the base verb + s for the third-person singular (he, she, it) in affirmative sentences: "he wakes", "he drinks".
To form a negative sentence in the Present Simple for "he", use doesn't (does not) + the base verb.
Question 15
Choose the correct word to complete the frustrated musician's complaint.
I write all the lyrics, we both play the guitar, but somehow Dave ______ all the credit!
The correct answer is takes.
In the Present Simple, verbs match their subjects. "I" and "we" use the base form ("write", "play"), but third-person singular subjects like "Dave" (he) require an "-s" at the end of the verb ("takes").