The verb to break · Conjugation
Present Simple of break
The answer: break / breaks
A1
Habits, routines and facts that are always true.
Quick answer
The Present Simple of the verb to break is break / breaks.
Example: I never break promises.
Full conjugation in the Present Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | break |
| You | break |
| He / She / It | breaks |
| We | break |
| You (pl.) | break |
| They | break |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. He break ❌
With he, she and it, the verb needs -s (or -es): he breaks, she breaks, it breaks. The same is true with one person or one thing: my friend breaks. This is one of the most common mistakes in English, so always check your verb.
2. Does she breaks? ❌
In a question or a negative, the -s is already on does. So the main verb goes back to the base form: Does she break…?, She doesn't break. Never put -s on both verbs.
3. I am break ❌
In the Present Simple, do not put am, is or are before the verb. Say I break, not I am break. A very common example is I am agree: say I agree. Use am, is or are with an -ing form (I am reading) or with an adjective (I am happy).
Practice quiz
Going further
The English contest tests the Present Simple of break in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Practise on PLAYMaster the Present Simple of break when you speak, not just on paper
The conjugation is clear in your head. On PLAY, you practise it in a game, with instant feedback, until it comes out on its own.
Practise the Present Simple of break on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Present Simple of break, and you follow each student
The Academy has self-marking activities on this form, with a dashboard for each student: you see at a glance who is falling behind.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate break in the Present Simple?+
Use break with I, you, we and they. Use breaks with he, she and it: I break, she breaks. Only he, she and it change. All the other forms are the same.
When do you use the Present Simple of break?+
Use the Present Simple for habits, routines and facts that are always true. Common signal words are every day, usually, often, always, sometimes and never. For an action happening right now, use the Present Continuous: I am breaking.
Is it he break or he breaks?+
It is he breaks. In the Present Simple, he, she and it add -s to the verb: break → breaks. This -s is easy to forget. Check the verb every time the subject is he, she, it or one person (my friend breaks).
How do you make the negative of break in the Present Simple?+
Use don't (do not) or doesn't (does not) + the base form. The base form is the verb with no to and no -s: I don't break, she doesn't break. English needs do or does to make the negative: I not break is wrong.
How do you make a question with break in the Present Simple?+
Use do or does + the subject + the base form: Do you break…?, Does she break…? After does, the main verb has no -s. In a short answer, repeat do or does: Yes, I do. / No, she doesn't.
Related pages: break Present Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/break/present
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to break are coming soon.