How to Teach the Simple Present Tense in Grades 5–6 (do/does & -s)
How to Teach the Simple Present Tense in Grades 5–6 (do/does & -s)
The simple present describes routines, habits and facts, and most errors come from one subject choice: he, she or it changes the verb, and does takes the -s away again. This unit builds the pattern step by step, from routines and verb endings to negatives, questions, frequency words and a short routine text. It includes a 31-page student book with six modules, a project and a learning check, plus a 14-page teacher guide with answers. Plan for 8–12 lessons.
See the unit →Resources that fit
Units and bundles for this topic
Start with the simple present unit, then see the language bundle it belongs to and related grammar units.
Simple Present: My Everyday Life | Routines, he/she/it Verb Endings, do/does Questions & Negatives, How Often | Grammar Unit | Grades 5–6
Language & EAL Bundle | 3 Complete Units: Parts of Speech, Simple Present & In the Town | Grades 3–6
Simple Past: Stories About Yesterday | Regular & Irregular Verbs, Questions & Negatives | Grammar Unit | Grades 5–6
Pronouns & Possessive Determiners | Subject & Object Pronouns, my/your/their, this & that | Grammar Unit | Grades 3–6
Parts of Speech: Nouns, Verbs & Adjectives | Word Classes in Sentences, Tricky Cases & Revising Texts | Grammar Unit | Grades 3–4
Complete Learning Books Bundle | 10 Units: Grammar, Math, Science, History, ESL, Art & Music | Grades 3–6
The teaching problem
Why "she play" and "does she plays" keep coming back
By grade 5 most students can recite "he, she, it, the s must fit" and still write "Ella get up at seven." The rule is known but not applied, because students choose the verb before they look at the subject. The unit reverses that order. The first learning text tells students to find the subject first, then choose the verb form, and every module repeats the same small box: I play, you play, she plays, Does she play? She doesn't play. Module 2 then deals with the spelling cases that trip students up, such as watch/watches, study/studies, play/plays and have/has.
The second problem is double marking. Once students learn the -s, they add it everywhere: "Ben doesn't plays tennis" or "Does Sam plays chess?" The unit states the reason plainly. After does, the main verb returns to its base form, because does already carries the he/she/it information. Students correct both sentences, then write two mistaken sentences of their own for a partner to fix and explain. The texts also mark where the pattern stops: be works differently, as in "I am not" and "Are you ready?"
Frequency words cause a third set of errors. Students write "She doesn't never walk to school" or "He always is late," and they treat "often" as if it were a number. Module 5 explains that never already has a negative meaning, that frequency words usually come before an ordinary verb but after be, and that "often" and "three times a week" give different kinds of information. Students then build a weekly routine chart and write four precise sentences from it.
A sequence that works
A six-module sequence for Grammar
Each module follows the same path: example, learning text, Tasks 1 and 2, a Task 3 explanation, then extra practice and reflection.
- Routines and habitsStudents find the time phrases in Leo's routine (at seven, on Fridays) and write three routine sentences with I or we. Task 3 asks why "We play football on Fridays" is not only about one Friday.
- He, she, it: verb endingsStudents complete reads, watches and has, then write the he/she forms of go, study and play. They correct "She studys and have a book" and turn their own routine into a profile of a friend, underlining every changed verb.
- Negatives with do and doesStudents make "I like tea", "Ben plays tennis" and "They walk to school" negative and correct "Ben doesn't plays tennis." They then write a contrast in the form "I don't …, but I … ."
- Questions with do and doesFrom a short profile of Sam, students ask "Where does Sam live?" and a yes/no question about the twins with a short answer. They correct "Does Sam plays chess?" and interview a partner with four do/does questions.
- How often?Students write sentences with often and once a week about Maya's reading and swimming and fix "She doesn't never walk to school." They explain why often and three times a week differ, then make a weekly routine chart.
- A clear routine textStudents correct every verb in Ella's draft, add two sentences about her afternoon and create a three-point proofreading checklist. The think-further task is a 70–90 word routine text revised after peer feedback.
Where it goes wrong
Misconceptions to plan for
These are the errors that show up most often, with the explanation the unit gives for each.
Ben doesn't plays tennis. After does not or doesn't, the main verb goes back to its base form: Ben doesn't play tennis.
Does Sam plays chess? In a question the main verb also stays in its base form. Choose do or does by the subject, not by the verb that follows: Does Sam play chess?
She studys after school. A consonant plus y changes to -ies (study, studies), while a vowel plus y keeps the y (play, plays).
She doesn't never walk to school. Never already has a negative meaning, so standard English does not add don't or doesn't: She never walks to school.
"Often" tells you exactly how many times. A frequency word is approximate unless you explain it. "Three times a week" is counted, and a timetable makes a routine more precise.
What's in the download
Inside the files
One digital download with the student book and the teacher guide, ready to print.
- Student book, 31 pages, print-ready PDF
- Teacher guide, 14 pages, with answers for every module
- Six four-page modules with a repeated verb-form box
- Two-page routine profile project with peer feedback prompts
- Learning check without the text plus glossary and reflection page
- A4 format that prints on US Letter with fit-to-page
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Which standards area does this unit sit closest to?
It sits closest to the Common Core ELA language standards on conventions of standard English, especially subject-verb agreement and verb forms. In England it roughly maps to upper KS2 grammar, and in Australia to Years 5–6 English and EAL/D work. TeachLessons is not affiliated with the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and the unit is not endorsed or approved by it or by any state.
What do students need to know before starting?
Students should be able to read short sentences and recognize a subject and a verb. No prior grammar terms beyond that are needed, since each module explains its pattern with examples. For materials, the teacher guide suggests verb cards, partner interviews and a weekly timetable, alongside printed pages, pencils and optional A3 paper for the project.
How does the unit support different levels?
The teacher guide gives three paths. On the support path you read the text together, highlight key words and discuss Task 1 orally before students write or draw. The core path has students work independently and check one answer with a partner. The extension path uses the think-further tasks, such as the partner interview or the 70–90 word routine text, and asks for clear reasoning.
How long does the unit take?
Plan for around 8–12 lessons. Each module has four pages and usually fills one or two lessons, and the routine profile project and learning check add a few more. Modules can be used on their own, so you can teach only the negatives and questions modules if that is where your class struggles.
Does the unit cover the verb be?
Only as a contrast. The learning texts point out that be works differently, as in "I am not", "Are you ready?" and "She is often tired", but the tasks practice ordinary action verbs with do and does. That keeps the focus on the pattern students most often get wrong. The frequency module shows where words like always go with be.
From the Teacher Hub
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Make the simple present stick
Six modules, a routine profile project and answer pages, ready to print for grades 5–6.
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