







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 all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Si tratta del mio adorabile gattino, Pogo! |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Perché non voglio sprecare altro tempo a trovare una casa nuova… |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Ci siamo, sono sicuro che significa che pagano molto meno. |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Penso che *la mano prende fuoco* sia una battuta! |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Siamo tornati, dov’è Bear? |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Ma certo! È il mio pub preferito. |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Stasera siamo usciti per Laura. |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | Non è prendere in prestito, è rubare! |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Beh, invece del pollo puoi provare l’anatra, è gustosa! |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Va più veloce, ma non vogliamo camminare fino alla stazione della metro. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | La prima è lavare i piatti o pulire? |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Ci sono delle macchie di calcare sopra! |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Ad ogni modo, questa è Cate e le sue amiche dal lavoro. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Tua mamma riesce a gestire la situazione da sola? |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | No è una ragazza molto carina, alla mano e cordiale. |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | Io sono solo fino a quando non arriverà il mio amico. |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | Ma Bear ha la displasia ad un’anca. |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | Va bene, non è un problema. |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Sfortunatamente, non ne ho una! Dov’è la tua? |