







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 | |
|---|---|
| He is the bartender. | |
| What's the time, are we early? | |
| Who is Mike, darling? | |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | |
| You are lucky! | |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | |
| Okay, that's fine. | |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | |
| Do you live in this house, too? | |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| What’s their name? | |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |