Yo voy, tú vas: Usando verbos de acción básicos
he, she e it llevan una s al final!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the base form of a verb to talk about your daily habits and things that are always true.
- Use the verb as-is for I, You, We, and They (e.g., 'I eat').
- Add an -s or -es for He, She, and It (e.g., 'She eats').
- Use 'do' or 'does' to make questions and 'not' sentences.
Overview
I go pero he goes? No es un error de tipeo en tus mensajes. Este es uno de los patrones más importantes y básicos del inglés.go, come, eat y drink. Domina estos y estarás en el buen camino.I drink coffee every morning.The sun comes up in the east. Un horario es un plan fijo, como The train goes to London at 5 PM. La idea central es que la acción es regular o permanente.I eat pizza (me gusta y la como a veces) y I am eating pizza (está en mi boca ahora mismo, por favor no me hables).How This Grammar Works
go, come, eat y drink. El truco de magia, o quizás la parte molesta, ocurre cuando hablas de otra persona en singular.I, you, we y they, solo usas el verbo base. Sin cambios. ¡Fácil!I go, You eat, We come, They drink. Pero para he, she o it (y cualquier persona o cosa en singular, como my friend o the cat), tienes que añadir una -s o -es. Así que, he goes, she eats, it comes.-s es una señal enorme para tu interlocutor de que estás hablando de una sola persona o cosa en el presente. Parece pequeña, pero omitirla es uno de los errores más comunes para los estudiantes. ¡Hazlo bien y sonarás mucho más avanzado!
Formation Pattern
I, tú, mi hermano, los estudiantes.
he, she, it o una sola persona/cosa? Si es así, prepárate para añadir -s.
I, you, we, they: Usa el verbo base. I eat apples. They go to the gym.
he, she, it: Añade -s o -es al verbo. She eats apples. He goes to the gym.
When To Use It
- Rutinas diarias y hábitos: Este es el uso número 1. ¿Cuál es tu rutina?
I check my email when I wake up.She goes for a run after work.We eat dinner and watch Netflix.Cualquier cosa que hagas una y otra vez. - Verdades generales y hechos: Cosas que simplemente son verdad.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.The earth goes around the sun.Cats eat mice.No puedes discutir esto, así que usan el presente simple. - Eventos futuros programados: Este suena un poco raro, but we use it for timetables.
My flight leaves at 6 AM tomorrow.The movie starts at 9:30.El evento es tan fijo y seguro que es como un hecho. Verás esto en los letreros de las estaciones de tren y en los horarios de eventos.
Common Mistakes
-s para He/She/It: El clásico. My friend live in London. ✗
My friend lives in London. ✓
-s con otros sujetos: They goes to the same school. ✗
They go to the same school. ✓
I am drinking coffee every morning. ✗
I drink coffee every morning. ✓ am drinking es para ahora mismo. drink es para un hábito.
I no go to work. ✗
I don't go to work. ✓ Necesitas el verbo auxiliar do/does para hacer negativos.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
be + verbo-ing).- Presente Simple: Para situaciones permanentes y hábitos.
I live in New York. - Presente Continuo: Para situaciones temporales y acciones que suceden ahora mismo.
I'm living in New York for the summer.
Quick FAQ
P: ¿Entonces nunca uso el Presente Simple para cosas que suceden ahora?
R: Casi nunca para *acciones*. Pero para estados mentales, sí. I understand now.
P: ¿Y las preguntas?
R: Igual que los negativos, necesitas do o does. Do you drink coffee? Does she go to this school?
P: ¿Es realmente tan importante añadir la -s?
R: Honestamente, sí. Es uno de los marcadores más claros de un hablante no nativo. Hacerlo bien es un paso clave para sonar fluido.
Present Simple Conjugation (Action Verbs)
| Subject | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I
|
work
|
do not work
|
Do I work?
|
|
You
|
work
|
do not work
|
Do you work?
|
|
He
|
works
|
does not work
|
Does he work?
|
|
She
|
works
|
does not work
|
Does she work?
|
|
It
|
works
|
does not work
|
Does it work?
|
|
We
|
work
|
do not work
|
Do we work?
|
|
They
|
work
|
do not work
|
Do they work?
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Short Form | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
do not
|
don't
|
I/You/We/They
|
|
does not
|
doesn't
|
He/She/It
|
Meanings
The Present Simple is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements.
Daily Habits
Actions that happen regularly or repeatedly.
“I walk to work.”
“They play soccer on Sundays.”
General Truths
Facts that are always true or scientific laws.
“The sun rises in the east.”
“Water boils at 100 degrees.”
Permanent States
Situations that are expected to last a long time.
“I live in London.”
“She works at a bank.”
Reference Table
| Sujeto | Forma del Verbo | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
|
I
|
Verbo base (go)
|
I go to class.
|
|
You
|
Verbo base (eat)
|
You eat lunch.
|
|
We
|
Verbo base (study)
|
We study together.
|
|
They
|
Verbo base (play)
|
They play soccer.
|
|
He
|
Verbo + s/es (goes)
|
He goes to work.
|
|
She
|
Verbo + s/es (eats)
|
She eats dinner.
|
|
It
|
Verbo + s/es (rains)
|
It rains often.
|
|
My dog
|
Verbo + s/es (eats)
|
My dog eats.
|
Espectro de formalidad
I reside in the city of New York. (Living situation)
I live in New York. (Living situation)
I'm in NYC. (Living situation)
I reppin' New York. (Living situation)
Verbos de acción básicos: ¿Quién hace qué?
Sujetos con Verbo Base
- I I eat.
- You You read.
- We We play.
- They They sleep.
Sujetos con Verbo + 's/es'
- He He eats.
- She She reads.
- It It plays.
- The dog The dog sleeps.
Formas verbales: Base vs. S/ES
Eligiendo la forma correcta del verbo
¿Quién es el sujeto?
¿Es el sujeto 'I', 'You', 'We', 'They' o plural?
¿Es el sujeto 'He', 'She', 'It' o singular?
Acciones de cada día
Mi día
- • I wake up.
- • I drink coffee.
- • I go to work.
- • I eat lunch.
Otras personas
- • He studies.
- • She plays games.
- • They chat online.
- • We talk.
Hechos del mundo
- • The sun rises.
- • Water boils.
- • Birds fly.
- • It rains.
Ejemplos por nivel
I drink water.
You speak English.
She eats an apple.
They go to school.
He doesn't like milk.
Do you live in a house?
We always watch TV at night.
The bus stops here every hour.
I believe you are right.
The train leaves at 9 PM tomorrow.
Does she know the answer?
It rarely snows in this city.
If he finishes early, he joins us.
The author argues that peace is possible.
I suggest that you arrive on time.
Smith passes to Jones, and Jones scores!
I hereby resign from my position.
So, this guy walks into a bar...
The law states that all citizens are equal.
I forget, what was your name again?
The painting captures the essence of grief.
Whatever he says, she ignores him.
I assume you've already heard the news.
The mechanism functions by rotating the gear.
Fácil de confundir
Learners use 'I am going' for habits instead of 'I go'.
Learners combine 'am/is/are' with action verbs.
Learners forget that 'have' changes to 'has' for he/she/it.
Errores comunes
I am work in London.
I work in London.
He like pizza.
He likes pizza.
You goes to school.
You go to school.
I no like coffee.
I don't like coffee.
Does she likes music?
Does she like music?
He don't play soccer.
He doesn't play soccer.
I always am happy.
I am always happy.
I am knowing the answer.
I know the answer.
The sun is rising in the east.
The sun rises in the east.
I work here since 2010.
I have worked here since 2010.
I suggest him to go.
I suggest that he go / he goes.
Patrones de oraciones
I ___ every day.
She doesn't ___.
Do you ___?
My father ___ at ___.
Real World Usage
I love travel and I live in Tokyo.
I manage a team of five people.
I don't eat onions, please.
The flight arrives at gate 4.
Do you want to grab pizza?
My head hurts when I walk.
¡Escucha el sonido de la 'S'!
He works in an office.
No mezcles el verbo 'To Be'
I eat, no I am eat.Piensa en 'He/She/It = -s'
She reads a book.
El contexto es el rey
He speaks very well.
Practica con tarjetas
We study every night.
Smart Tips
Check for the 'S'! Always ask yourself: Is it one person? Then add the 'S'.
Start with 'Do' or 'Does'. It's like a signal light for the listener that a question is coming.
Keep the next verb 'naked' (no -s, no -ing, no -ed).
Put these words BEFORE the action verb.
Pronunciación
The three sounds of -S
The -s ending can sound like /s/, /z/, or /iz/.
Do-support reduction
In fast speech, 'Do you' often sounds like 'D'ya'.
Yes/No Question
Do you like coffee? ↗
Rising intonation at the end of the question.
Statement
I like coffee. ↘
Falling intonation at the end of a fact.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
He, She, It, the 'S' must fit!
Asociación visual
Imagine the letters H, S, and I (He, She, It) wearing a giant cape with a letter 'S' on it like a superhero.
Rhyme
I go, you go, we go too. But he goes, she goes, yes they do!
Story
A man named 'He' and a woman named 'She' are obsessed with the letter S. They only like things that end in S: he eatS, she sleepS, he runS. Everyone else in the village is normal and doesn't use the S.
Word Web
Desafío
Write down 5 things you do every single morning using 'I'. Then, change them to 'My friend' and add the 's'!
Notas culturales
Using the Present Simple for habits is seen as being direct and clear. It is the standard for introducing yourself.
Often uses 'have got' instead of 'have' in the present simple for possession.
Strictly uses 'do' for questions and negatives more consistently than some regional dialects.
The Present Simple comes from Germanic roots where verbs had complex endings. Over centuries, English dropped most of these endings, leaving only the 's'.
Inicios de conversación
What do you do every morning?
Where do you live?
What kind of music do you like?
How do you get to work?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
We ___ English lessons every Tuesday.
Find and fix the mistake:
My brother like pizza.
Traduce al inglés: 'Ella trabaja en un café.'
Answer starts with: ["S...
Elige la opción correcta:
Score: /4
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesShe ___ in a hospital.
___ coffee.
Find and fix the mistake:
Do he play soccer?
like / they / pizza / don't
I / He / They
We ___ to the gym every day.
Select the fact.
Find and fix the mistake:
She watch TV.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesI ___ to music when I study.
He ___ a lot of questions in class.
We watches movies on Fridays.
My sister study Spanish.
Elige la frase correcta:
Elige la frase correcta:
Traduce al inglés: 'Ellos viven en una ciudad grande.'
Traduce al inglés: 'Ella enseña inglés.'
Ordena estas palabras para formar una frase:
Ordena estas palabras para formar una frase:
Une los sujetos con la forma correcta del verbo 'drink':
Une los sujetos con la forma correcta del verbo 'go':
Score: /12
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
This is a rule from old English. The 's' is only for the third person singular (He, She, It).
Usually, no. For things happening right now, we use the Present Continuous (I am going). Use Present Simple for habits.
If there is a consonant before 'y', change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es' (studies). If there is a vowel, just add 's' (plays).
Yes, for action verbs. You can't just say 'You like coffee?'. You must say 'Do you like coffee?'.
Yes. 'Don't' is the contraction. It is very common in speaking. 'Do not' is more formal.
Because the 's' moved to the word 'do' to make it 'does'. You only need one 's' per sentence!
These are verbs like 'love', 'know', and 'want'. They usually stay in the Present Simple even if they are happening now.
You can use it for fixed schedules, like 'The movie starts at 8 PM'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Presente de Indicativo
English is much simpler with only two forms (go/goes).
Présent
French requires subject pronouns just like English, but has more conjugation.
Präsens
German verbs change for almost every person (gehe, gehst, geht).
Non-past tense
Japanese has no 's' for third person, but changes based on politeness.
Al-Mudari' (المضارع)
Arabic conjugation is much more complex and gendered.
No specific tense
English conjugation (the 's') is often the hardest part for Chinese speakers.
