







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is it a single or a double room? | È una stanza singola o doppia? |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Certamente cara, vuoi un bicchiere o una bottiglia? |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Poi però voglio farlo arrosto. |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Non c’è nulla sotto i 3000 ad Angel! |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | No, non voglio… Non voglio più una casa a Mayfair! |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Scusami, devo andare al bagno. |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Ma tutti quanti lo chiamano Rocco. |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | Dato che fumo, io preferisco sedermi fuori. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Sì, voglio vedere il bagno… |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Ad ogni modo, ti rimangono solo 10 giorni per lasciare quella casa. |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | Spero che alle tue amiche non dispiaccia. |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Ciao Mike, niente di che, come stai? |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Ma penso valga solo per le donne più anziane. |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Voglio provare il Sauvignon Blanc. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Non è carino, Mike! |
| 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. |
| You are lucky! | Che fortuna! |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | Quando la smetterai di credere che possiamo prendere una casa a Mayfair a 2400! |