







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 | |
|---|---|
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| Why is that? | |
| Do you know how to use them? | |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | |
| When I have free time. | |
| It sounds like a good deal. | |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | |
| Erm... You look about 30? | |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | |