







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 mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Voglio dire, sembri troppo giovane per essere un insegnante. |
| Is it a single or a double room? | È una stanza singola o doppia? |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Per il risotto ho bisogno di un po’ di riso arborio. |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Sì, lui è uno di quelli. |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Già, mi domando se abbiamo lo stesso gusto nei film! |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hai guardato con attenzione, non abbiamo davvero nulla? |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, vuoi che ti prenda qualcosa da mangiare? |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Non penso che dovremo pagarlo. |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Anche i tuoi genitori vivono a Londra? |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | E Pogo si spaventa molto a causa della folla e del rumore. |
| Are you with your friends? | Sei con i tuoi amici? |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Lei è mezza giapponese, mezza australiana. |
| And the buses always arrive on time. | E gli autobus arrivano sempre in orario. |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Nemmeno io l’ho vista, e non voglio proprio farlo… |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Erm… Sì… Certo! È il nostro primo anniversario! |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Mangiare gli avanzi durante la settimana mi fa risparmiare un po’ di tempo. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Le regole per la dogana sono molto rigide in Australia. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartamento non è una buona idea per Bear, non ha un giardino. |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | Credo di sì, ma voglio finire di vedere tutte le case oggi. |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Non sono davvero dell'umore giusto per unirmi a loro. |