







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 don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Scusami, devo andare al bagno. |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | È possibile trasferirsi domani? |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Che piani hai Cate? |
| Are you close friends? | Siete buoni amici? |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | E questa è la mia ragazza, Cate. |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | Beh adesso è così… Volete vedere il piano di sopra? |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Sono felice di sentire che abbiamo gusti simili in fatto di musica! |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Sì, il ristorante è molto popolare. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | La mia riunione Inizia all'1:00. |
| How old are you? | Quanti anni hai tu? |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | C’è uno spremi aglio allora? |
| 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 was just joking, how are you? | Stavo solo scherzando, come stai? |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | No, non è mia, penso appartenga alla casa. |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Ok, quello grattugiato ha il 20% di sconto oggi. |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | C'è qualcos'altro che posso fare per te, amore? |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | So cucinare, naturalmente, ma solo quando mi va. |
| 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. |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Beh, una è 2800, ma le bollette non sono incluse… |