







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 | |
|---|---|
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | Stavi spiegando perché sei qui alle 7:30 del mattino. |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Credo che £ 4000 siano abbastanza. |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Beh, una è 2800, ma le bollette non sono incluse… |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | Non è chissà cosa ma è una cosa piuttosto importante da menzionare. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Esattamente, odio essere svegliato nel bel mezzo della notte! |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | In realtà, è molto urgente per me. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | No, non so cosa c’è di tuo nel frigo. |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Grazie per la considerazione, caro. |
| I'm a web designer. | Sono un Web designer. |
| Her name is Ayumi! | Si chiama Ayumi! |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ho una sorella che ha 19 anni. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Già, penso che la primavera sia il periodo peggiore per l’allergia! |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un mazzetto è abbastanza per te? |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Sì, è molto importante per me, in realtà. |
| I'm unleashing him now, is that okay for you? | Ora lo libero, va bene per te? |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | È ad Islington, zona 1, per me il luogo migliore finora. |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | In questi giorni vado molto spesso in quel pub. |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 gradi è il massimo! |