







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 haven't been there before, where is it? | Non sono stata là prima, dov’è? |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | Indosso alcuni, posso controllare quando torno? |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Sì, lei ritorna, ma non è quello che faccio sempre? |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | Naturalmente, lei è un angelo, vuoi parlare con la tua mamma? |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Non siamo in quattro caro? |
| What genre do you listen to? | Che genere ascolti? |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, penso di conoscerli. |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Sì, vuoi dire con i velocipedi? |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | È Leicester Square o Piccadilly Circus? |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Ho una riunione con alcune persone. |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sono là, sotto il piumino. |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Guarda, si può vedere un tramonto bellissimo da questo punto. |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hmm, credo sia un po’ vecchio, ma è ancora il mio preferito. |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Non riesco a crederci che non ci arrivi! |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Poi lui scopre di essere un robot, non un bambino vero. |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | Sono dunque £ 5 di più della stanza più grande! |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Già, mi domando se abbiamo lo stesso gusto nei film! |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Non lo so davvero, ma credo sia più vecchia di 100 anni. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Vuoi che lavi la bottiglia di vino prima di versarlo? |