







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 am alone till my friend comes. | Io sono solo fino a quando non arriverà il mio amico. |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Non penso sia normale, tu pensi sia normale? |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Già, penso che la primavera sia il periodo peggiore per l’allergia! |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Sì, lei ritorna, ma non è quello che faccio sempre? |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | È difficile trovare tutti gli oggetti manualmente alla cassa fai da te. |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Va bene, sono quasi pronta. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Di sopra, c’è Diego e una coppia inglese vicino a lui. |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Eccetto le zanzare perché mi rovinano il sonno. |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Penso che *la mano prende fuoco* sia una battuta! |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Posso portarlo come quando ritorno per colazione. |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Congratulazioni, buona fortuna. |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Perché altre persone si lamentano che io fumo lì. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Pronto signora, è ancora in linea? |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | Pesano tutto quanto alla cassa. |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Non penso sia possibile trovare delle altre variazioni. |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Quello in fondo sembra più fresco. |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, vuoi che ti prenda qualcosa da mangiare? |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | È possibile non riuscire a trovare biglietti di ritorno? |