A1 · Débutant Chapitre 5

Describing Your World and Actions

4 Règles totales
47 exemples
5 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the power to describe your daily life and everything happening around you right now.

  • Master the base form of verbs for most people.
  • Understand the special 's' ending for he, she, and it.
  • Distinguish between routine habits and actions happening this very second.
From simple facts to living descriptions.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Let's learn to talk about what you and others are doing and what happens every day! We'll discover how to use action words correctly, like when to add -ing or «-s.» Get ready to describe your world clearly and easily!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: State facts about yourself and groups of people using the present simple.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Correctly apply the third-person 's' to verbs when talking about another person.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: Describe what is happening in a photo or in your current environment using the present continuous.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Imagine yourself trying to share what you do every day, or tell someone what your friend is up to right now. This is where the magic of English grammar comes in! In this chapter, we're going to unlock the secrets of English describing your world and actions for beginners.
You’ll learn how to talk about your daily routines, facts about yourself and others, and even things that are happening right at this moment.
Mastering these basic structures is super important as you learn English A1 grammar. We'll look at how to use action words (verbs) when you talk about yourself (I eat), about groups (we play), and about single people or things (he works, she sings). We'll also dive into how to describe actions that are still in progress, like
I am reading
or
they are laughing.
By the end of this guide, you’ll feel much more confident describing your world clearly and easily, making your conversations much more vibrant!

How This Grammar Works

At its heart, talking about your world and actions means using verbs correctly. For actions that are habits, facts, or things that happen regularly, we often use the Present Simple. When you talk about yourself (I), or you, we, and they, it's super easy!
You just use the basic form of the verb. For example,
I eat breakfast every morning,
or
They play football on Saturdays.
This form describes regular occurrences that are true often or always.
Now, things change a little when you talk about he, she, it, or a single person/thing (like my sister or the cat). This is our special He/She/It Rule. For these, we add an -s or -es to the end of the verb.
So,
She drinks coffee,
and
He watches TV.
Knowing when to add -s or -es is key to sounding natural and correct.
But what if something is happening *right now*? That's where the Present Continuous comes in! We use a form of the verb 'be' (am/is/are) plus the -ing form of the main verb.
For example,
I am studying English,
or
They are listening to music.
This tells us the action is still in progress at the moment of speaking. Finally, we'll quickly look at the spelling rules for adding -ing to verbs, like changing dance to dancing or swim to swimming – it helps keep your writing and speaking accurate.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Forgetting the -s with He/She/It
✗ He like coffee.
✓ He likes coffee.
Explanation: Always remember to add -s (or -es) to the verb when the subject is he, she, it, or a single person/thing. This is a very common A1 mistake, but easy to fix!
  1. 1Confusing Present Simple and Present Continuous
✗ I am eat breakfast every day.
✓ I eat breakfast every day. (This is a habit/routine)
✓ I am eating breakfast now. (This is an action happening at this exact moment)
Explanation: Use Present Simple for routines and facts, and Present Continuous for actions happening right now or temporarily.
  1. 1Incorrect -ing Spelling
✗ I am swiming.
✓ I am swimming.
Explanation: For many short verbs ending in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern, you often double the last consonant before adding -ing (e.g., run -> running, sit -> sitting). Also, remember to drop the 'e' from verbs like make before adding -ing (making).

Real Conversations

A

A

What do you do on weekends?
B

B

I play tennis, and my brother reads books.
A

A

Look! What is he doing?
B

B

He is drawing a picture. He draws every day, it's his hobby.
A

A

Where are you going right now?
B

B

I am going to the shop. We need some milk for breakfast tomorrow.

Quick FAQ

Q

How do I use the Present Simple in English to talk about myself?

For yourself (I), you just use the base form of the verb. For example,

I work in an office,
I learn English online,
I eat fruit for lunch.

Q

When should I add -s or -es to a verb?

You add -s or -es to a verb when the subject is he, she, it, or a single person/thing. For example,

He works hard,
She learns fast,
It eats a lot of food.

Q

What is the difference between

I eat
and
I am eating
?

I eat
means it's a habit or a general fact (e.g.,
I eat breakfast every day at 7 AM
).
I am eating
means the action is happening right now, at this moment (e.g., "Shhh, I am eating lunch now, I can't talk").

Q

How do I spell verbs ending with -ing correctly?

Most times, you just add -ing (e.g., read -> reading). If a verb ends in 'e', you usually drop the 'e' then add -ing (e.g., make -> making). If it's a short verb ending in consonant-vowel-consonant, you often double the last consonant (e.g., run -> running).

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these patterns constantly, making them absolutely essential for everyday communication. While formal settings might prefer complete sentences, in informal chats, you'll often hear shortened versions like "She's working instead of She is working." There are very few regional differences in how these basic grammar structures are formed; they are universally understood across English-speaking countries.

Exemples clés (8)

1

I work at a coffee shop.

Je travaille dans un café.

Actions en Anglais : Je, Tu, Nous, Ils (Présent Simple)
2

You speak English very well.

Tu parles très bien anglais.

Actions en Anglais : Je, Tu, Nous, Ils (Présent Simple)
3

He `drinks` coffee every morning.

Il boit du café tous les matins.

La règle He/She/It : Ajouter -s et -es aux verbes
4

She `watches` Netflix on weekends.

Elle regarde Netflix le week-end.

La règle He/She/It : Ajouter -s et -es aux verbes
5

I am studying English right now.

J'étudie l'anglais en ce moment.

Présent Continu: Actions en cours maintenant
6

She is drinking coffee.

Elle boit du café.

Présent Continu: Actions en cours maintenant
7

She is `reading` a new book right now.

Elle est en train de lire un nouveau livre en ce moment.

Règles d'orthographe pour la forme en -ing (Présent Continu)
8

My cat is `sleeping` on my keyboard again.

Mon chat est encore en train de dormir sur mon clavier.

Règles d'orthographe pour la forme en -ing (Présent Continu)

Conseils et astuces (4)

💡

Reste simple !

Pour I, you, we, they, tu utilises juste la forme de base du verbe. Pas besoin d'ajouter de terminaison, c'est déjà parfait ! Par exemple :
I eat lunch at noon.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Actions en Anglais : Je, Tu, Nous, Ils (Présent Simple)
🎯

La règle du 'Does'

Si tu vois does ou "doesn't
dans la phrase, le verbe principal perd son
s ou es. Le s
est déjà passé sur
does« ! »She doesn't like it."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La règle He/She/It : Ajouter -s et -es aux verbes
💡

Le duo dynamique

Pense toujours à ce duo inséparable : une forme de to be (am, is, are) AVEC un verbe qui finit par -ing. Si tu en oublies un, c'est comme une voiture sans roues ! I am reading. (Pas I reading)
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Présent Continu: Actions en cours maintenant
💡

Écoute bien le 'E'

Si un verbe finit par un 'e' que tu n'entends pas (comme dans make, write), c'est un 'e' muet et il disparaît avant d'ajouter -ing. Si tu l'entends (comme dans see, agree), garde-le !
I am making a cake.
mais
I am seeing a film.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Règles d'orthographe pour la forme en -ing (Présent Continu)

Vocabulaire clé (7)

eat to consume food work to do a job watch to look at something for a time run to move fast on feet write to mark paper with words now at this moment every day daily habit

Real-World Preview

phone

A Phone Call from the Park

Review Summary

  • Subject (I/You/We/They) + Verb (base)
  • Subject (He/She/It) + Verb + -s/-es
  • Subject + am/is/are + Verb-ing

Erreurs courantes

This is the most common mistake. Beginners often forget the 's' for the third person singular (he/she/it).

Wrong: He work in a bank.
Correct: He works in a bank.

You cannot have an '-ing' action without the 'am/is/are' helper verb to show when it is happening.

Wrong: I reading a book.
Correct: I am reading a book.

For short verbs with a 'consonant-vowel-consonant' pattern, you must double the final letter before adding -ing.

Wrong: He is runing.
Correct: He is running.

Next Steps

You've just unlocked the most active part of the English language. Keep practicing by narrating what you see around you today. You're doing amazing!

Photo Description

Daily Routine List

Continue to: Talking About Actions and Habits

Pratique rapide (10)

Quelle phrase utilise correctement le Present Continuous ?

Choisis la phrase correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I am eating pizza.
La forme correcte pour 'I' au Present Continuous est 'I am' + verbe en '-ing'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Présent Continu: Actions en cours maintenant

Quelle phrase est correcte ?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: We watch movies.
Pour le sujet 'we' au Présent Simple, utilise la forme de base du verbe ('watch'). 'Watches' est pour 'he/she/it', et 'are watch' est incorrect.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Actions en Anglais : Je, Tu, Nous, Ils (Présent Simple)

Quelle phrase utilise la bonne forme en -ing ?

Choisis la bonne phrase :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They are swimming in the pool.
Pour les verbes d'une syllabe qui finissent par Consonne-Voyelle-Consonne (CVC), tu doubles la consonne finale avant d'ajouter -ing (swim -> swimming). Super !

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Règles d'orthographe pour la forme en -ing (Présent Continu)

Choisis la bonne forme

I ___ (drink) coffee every morning.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: drink
Pour le sujet 'I' au Présent Simple, on utilise la forme de base du verbe, qui est 'drink'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Actions en Anglais : Je, Tu, Nous, Ils (Présent Simple)

Choisis la bonne forme du Present Continuous.

She ___ a book right now.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is reading
Pour 'She' (troisième personne du singulier), on utilise 'is' + verbe en '-ing'. Donc, 'is reading' est correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Présent Continu: Actions en cours maintenant

Trouve et corrige l'erreur

Find and fix the mistake:

You likes pizza.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: You like pizza.
Pour le sujet 'you' au Présent Simple, le verbe prend sa forme de base ('like'), pas avec une terminaison en '-s'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Actions en Anglais : Je, Tu, Nous, Ils (Présent Simple)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

She is makeing a cake for her friend.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She is making a cake for her friend.
Les verbes qui finissent par un 'e' muet (comme 'make') perdent le 'e' avant d'ajouter -ing. Tu as bien vu l'erreur !

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Règles d'orthographe pour la forme en -ing (Présent Continu)

Choisis la bonne forme en -ing pour compléter la phrase.

My brother is ___ (study) for his big exam.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: studying
Pour les verbes qui finissent par 'y', tu ajoutes simplement -ing sans rien changer. C'est la règle !

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Règles d'orthographe pour la forme en -ing (Présent Continu)

Complète la phrase avec la bonne forme de 'work'.

My brother ___ at a bank.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: works
Parce que 'my brother' c'est 'he' (il), on ajoute un '-s' au verbe.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La règle He/She/It : Ajouter -s et -es aux verbes

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

She wash her car every Sunday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She washes her car every Sunday.
Les verbes qui finissent en '-sh' ont besoin d'un '-es' à la troisième personne du singulier.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La règle He/She/It : Ajouter -s et -es aux verbes

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

C'est la forme de base du verbe, utilisée pour parler des habitudes, des routines et des faits généraux pour ces sujets, comme I eat ou We study.
C'est le verbe dans sa forme la plus simple, sans aucune terminaison comme -s, -ing ou -ed, par exemple, walk, eat, study.
Non. Même si they parle d'une seule personne (le they singulier), on utilise toujours la forme plurielle du verbe, sans s. Par exemple :
They look happy today.
Have est un verbe irrégulier. Sa forme à la troisième personne a évolué différemment. Il faut juste retenir : He/She/It has.
L'idée, c'est de parler des actions qui sont en train de se passer MAINTENANT ou autour de maintenant. Pense à une action en direct, comme I am eating.
Tu le formes avec : Sujet + am/is/are + verbe en -ing. Par exemple, She is studying ou They are playing.
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Identifying People and Objects
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Talking About Actions and Habits
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