







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 | |
|---|---|
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | |
| No, I don't have one! | |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | |
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | |
| But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | |