







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | |
| When I have free time. | |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | |
| Do you want me to call them? | |
| How long does the flight usually take? | |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | |
| What kind of trick is that? | |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | |
| Anyway, do you live around here, too? | |
| Is it because it's too violent? | |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | |