Learn Hardcore Japanese: gakusei ha hon wo yomimasu.

When は functions as a particle (specifically the topic marker), its pronunciation shifts from ha to wa. This is a historical spelling convention you’ll see in many beginner‐level sentences.

What role does は play in this sentence?

は marks 学生 (the student) as the topic of the sentence. It tells the listener “we’re talking about the student” and then gives information about them (in this case, that they read a book).

What does を do after 本?

を marks 本 (the book) as the direct object of the verb. It answers the question “what is being read?”

Why is the verb 読む turned into 読みます?

Japanese verbs are conjugated for politeness and tense.

読む is the plain present (dictionary) form: “to read.”
読みます is the polite non‐past form: “reads” or “will read,” depending on context.

Is 読みます present tense or future tense?

Japanese has a non‐past tense covering both present and future.

As non‐past, 読みます can mean “reads” (habitually or generally) or “will read,” determined by context.

Can I replace は with が and say 学生が本を読みます?

Yes—but with a nuance shift:

学生は本を読みます presents “the student” as the topic and gives info about them.
学生が本を読みます emphasizes “it is the student (and not someone else) who reads a book,” often used to assert or contrast the subject.

How do you make this sentence informal/plain?

Switch the verb back to its dictionary form:
学生は本を読む。
This is casual/plain style, often used in writing or among friends.

Does Japanese have articles like “a” or “the,” since there's none before 本?

No, Japanese doesn’t use articles. Context tells you whether 本 means “a book,” “the book,” or “books in general.” If you need to be specific, you can add words like その (that) or 何冊かの (some).

Is the word order fixed as Student – book – verb?

Generally Japanese follows SOV (Subject-Object-Verb).

Topic/Subject (学生は) → Object (本を) → Verb (読みます)
You can sometimes move the object/topic for emphasis, but the verb almost always stays at the end.