







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Già, è una nazione piuttosto grande, più tipo un continente. |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Ad ogni modo, la mia lezione sta per iniziare, devo andare. |
| I've experienced how difficult and expensive it can be. | Ho visto quanto può essere difficile e costoso. |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Non raccogli mai la cacca di Bear dal marciapiede. |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | Ok, allora voglio qualcosa di simile! |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | Scusi, è possibile vederla questo sabato dopo le 2:00? |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | Bisogna cambiare aereo ad un certo punto del viaggio. |
| How long does it usually take? | Quanto ci vuole di solito? |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Una combinazione molto interessante. |
| Why do you want to live there? | Perché vuoi vivere la? |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Ma è il mio ristorante preferito… |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Naturalmente, ecco qui, questo è il bagno. |
| Then people come and complain to me! | Poi la gente arriva e si lamenta con me! |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Sono davvero strabiliata dalla struttura di questa stazione. |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Hai ragione, c’è qualcosa che vuoi che compri sulla strada? |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | Difficile a credersi ma abbiamo una pentola a pressione in casa. |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Umm, puoi dire loro che è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Ma ogni tanto soffia, è normale? |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Anche tu vivi in questa casa? |