







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | È una specie di festa di benvenuto per lei. |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Ci sono delle macchie di calcare sopra! |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | È impossibile per me fare la pendolare dalla zona 9 alla 1 tutti i giorni. |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Ok, quello grattugiato ha il 20% di sconto oggi. |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | Tutto quanto è come descritto nell’annuncio. |
| 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. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salve ragazzi, è possibile fare un po’ meno rumore? |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | Non è una cosa bella da fare. |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | No, le oyster card servono solo per i mezzi pubblici a Londra. |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Umm… Noi siamo sposati… Voglio dire, oggi è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| Is that right? | È giusto? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | E dobbiamo pesare tutto quanto noi, eccetera. |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Stasera siamo usciti per Laura. |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Voglio dire, sembri troppo giovane per essere un insegnante. |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Ti piace anche andare in treno? |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | Non c’è di che, ecco il menu, signora. |
| 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. |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Perché non paghiamo 100 di più a testa, e prendiamo una casa a Mayfair? |
| It's about a web project. | Si tratta di un progetto web. |