







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 | |
|---|---|
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | |
| Hey, we are back. | |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | |
| That's a perfect time to see a house... | |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | |
| How old do I look? | |
| What is it about? | |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | |
| I see, I love cooking! | |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |