







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 guess he wants to drink some water. | Credo che voglia bere un po’ d’acqua. |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Odio quando mi ronzano intorno alle orecchie per tutta la notte e mi svegliano. |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sono là, sotto il piumino. |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | Non ci sono voli diretti da Londra a Perth. |
| No, they live in Australia. | No, loro vivono in Australia. |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | Non ti credo! Qual è la differenza oggi? |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oddio, mi sento così stanca ora. |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Non so, probabilmente la metterei nel cestino. |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Aspetta, c’è un altro sito web che dice… |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Scusa, spero di non aver rovinato i tuoi ricordi d’infanzia… |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | Credo che ordinerò l’anatra, è deliziosa. |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Magari possiamo prendere qualcosa mentre andiamo alla stazione. |
| Do we have any paper towels? | Abbiamo della carta assorbente? |
| How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Congratulazioni… Ma Pogo è il nome di un animale domestico? |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Spero non sia un tipo problematico, allora… |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Inoltre, penso che dovremmo andarcene tutti presto. |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | Mi serve un po’ di prezzemolo ma sembra un po’ moscio. |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Lui ha 70 anni, e mia mamma 64. |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Siamo tornati, dov’è Bear? |