







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is she here with you? | Lei è qui con te? |
| What does Diego do? | Che cosa fa Diego? |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Vogliamo vederci alla stazione ferroviaria o vuoi che passi a prenderti a casa tua? |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Vuoi che chiami Diego allora? |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Voglio dire, non vivi qui con qualcuno della tua famiglia. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | È una specie di festa di benvenuto per lei. |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | Chiederai scusa per aver detto che sono stupido allora? |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Grazie, ci vediamo là sabato alle 13:00. |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Ti piace anche andare in treno? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Non penso sia normale, tu pensi sia normale? |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | Ehi Cate! Hai bisogno di qualcosa? |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | Esatto, penso che anche le pentole a pressione siano molto pericolose! |
| Okay, so do you want me to make 3 serves? | Ok, allora vuoi che faccia 3 porzioni? |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Non so in realtà, tu? |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Amico, mi dispiace davvero! |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Hai dei parenti a Londra? |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | Il 50% di 135 è67,50… E fa un totale di 202,50. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Esattamente, quindi pensi che le lumache siano insetti o no? |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Sai, ad alcune persone non piace mettere il proprio annuncio su Internet. |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | È molto difficile per me andare là più di una volta all’anno. |