Simple Present – Questions
100% Original Practice Test
Ask about everyday activities at a neighbourhood seed library and weekend garden club. Study the guide, practise 44 questions, then use what you know in four short speaking tasks.
Your Quick Grammar Guide
Seed library: a place where people share seeds to grow new plants. Seeds are the small parts of a plant that can grow into new plants.
At the seed library, questions help us find out what people grow, share and do. First choose the helper from the subject; then use the base verb.
1. How to Form It
Do with I / you / we / they / plural subjects
Positive: subject + verb
We share bean seeds.
Negative: subject + don’t + base verb
We don’t share old seeds.
Yes / no question: Do + subject + base verb?
Do we share these seeds?
Short answers: Yes, we do. / No, we don’t.
Does with he / she / it / one person or thing
Positive: subject + verb-s
Leah grows mint.
Negative: subject + doesn’t + base verb
Leah doesn’t grow beans.
Yes / no question: Does + subject + base verb?
Does Leah grow mint?
Short answers: Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.
WH questions ask for information
Question word + do / does + subject + base verb?
Where do you keep the pots? What does Sam grow?
After do or does, keep the main verb in its base form: does grow, not does grows.
2. Clue Words & Patterns
What: a thingWhere: a placeWhen: a timeHow often: frequencyWhy: a reason
Ask for yes or no
Do the children bring pots?
Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.
The question asks whether a usual activity happens.
Ask for a detail
Where do the children keep their pots?
They keep them by the window.
Where asks for a place. Give information, rather than a yes/no answer.
Follow the subject
I / you / we / they: doplural subjects: dohe / she / it: doesone name or thing: does
Do the garden helpers water the beds? Does Mina water the beds? The subject changes the helper; water stays the same.
Every morning and on Saturdays describe routines. Time phrases and question words do not choose do or does; the subject does that.
3. Watch Out & Common Mistakes
1. Do not add -s after does
Wrong: Does Jo plants peas?
Better: Does Jo plant peas?
Does already carries the third-person form. Use the base verb after it.
2. Match do or does to the subject
Wrong: Do the garden gate open at nine?
Better: Does the garden gate open at nine?
The garden gate is one thing, so use does; open stays in its base form.
3. Keep the helper before the subject
Wrong: Where the volunteers do work?
Better: Where do the volunteers work?
In this question, put the WH word first, then do, then the subject.
4. Use a full short answer pattern
Wrong: Yes, she do.
Better: Yes, she does.
Repeat the helper from the question: Does Mina…? Yes, she does.
A different pattern with be
Ask Is the seed box empty?, not Does the seed box be empty? Use am, is or are before the subject for questions with be.
Some questions ask who or what does an action: Who waters these plants? Here who is the subject, so there is no do or does. This unit practises questions with a separate subject after the helper.
Try three quick self-checks: no points
Choose: (Do / Does) your neighbour grow tomatoes?
Does. Your neighbour means one person. Ask: Does your neighbour grow tomatoes?
Correct: Where does the garden helpers meet?
Where do the garden helpers meet? Helpers is plural, so use do before the subject.
Complete the short answer: Does Ari use the seed list? Yes, he ___.
does. Repeat the helper does with he: Yes, he does.
Before you begin: find the subject, choose do or does, use the base verb, and check the word order and question mark.
Speaking: make it personal
Listen to each model, repeat it, then change the details to tell your own story. Speaking practice is for self-assessment and adds no points to the 44-question test.
Practice 1
Ask a partner whether they grow anything at home. Then give your own short answer.
Read the model
Do you grow herbs at home? Yes, I do. I grow mint in a small pot.
Practice 2
Ask where one person in your group keeps their seeds.
Read the model
Where does Nina keep her seeds? She keeps them in a blue tin.
Practice 3
Ask how often a friend waters their plants, then give an information answer.
Read the model
How often does your friend water her plants? She waters them every morning.
Practice 4
Ask a partner which seeds they want to borrow. Then ask a yes/no question and give a short answer.
Read the model
Which seeds do you want to borrow? I want the sunflower seeds. Do you have them? Yes, we do.
Ready to check your work?
Submit to grade your whole test, OR use 👁 Show Answer per part / per question.
Learning review: what can you do now?
Can you choose do or does for the subject? Can you put question words in the right place and keep the main verb in its base form? Ask a partner about weekly activities and give short answers.