







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 hope it’s not serious. | Spero non sia niente di serio. |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Grazie, caro… Per avermi aiutato a mentire! |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Magari è davvero allergica ai gatti, non lo sappiamo. |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un corso di un anno? Che tipo di corso è? |
| I hope it's not related to me! | Spero che non sia per causa mia! |
| He is the bartender. | È il barista. |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | Ehi Mike, sembri molto preoccupato! |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Ho una riunione con alcune persone. |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | No, lei sta assolutamente bene, grazie al cielo. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Davvero? Come faccio a svegliarti? |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Ce ne sono molti altri, ma penso che gumtree.com sia il migliore. |
| I see, I love cooking! | Capisco, io adoro cucinare! |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | Decisamente costa molto, ma non è il solo problema. |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | Di solito è in cima a destra dello schermo. |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Sembri un po’ triste, stai bene? |
| Does anyone else need anything? | Qualcun altro ha bisogno di qualcosa? |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Come arrivi a Brighton? |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Mi sveglio e faccio il letto e poi riordino la stanza. |