







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 mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Cucino per la maggior parte piatti a base di carne, pesce e pollo. |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | In questi casi, Pogo rimane a casa da solo senza cibo e senza attenzioni. |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | Sì, non è normale ma è quello che dice nella ricetta. |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Ma una costa £ 2,44 e l’altra £ 1,22. |
| 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. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh no! Sicuri di non avere nulla disponibile? |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Davvero? Sade è anche uno dei miei preferiti. |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Sembra un'ottimo affare. |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Ciao ragazze, questo è Mike. |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | Hai ragione, ma non è qui solo per riparare le cose… |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Come vanno le cose, tutto bene? |
| Who is Mike, darling? | Chi è Mike, cara? |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Andiamo caro, sai che lo vuoi! |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Come osa… È così stupido!!! |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Umm… Noi siamo sposati… Voglio dire, oggi è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | In questi giorni mi piacciono i remix anni 60 e 70. |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | Ho un appuntamento con gli affari interni per l’estensione del mio visto. |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Non so, massimo 33? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Ma certo! È il mio pub preferito. |