







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 | |
|---|---|
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | C’è un’intera confezione da 500 g chiusa. |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | No, no, non c’è nulla di sbagliato, non devi preoccuparti, va tutto bene… |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Sì, credo che uccidere le zanzare vada bene. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Ciao, scusa se sono un po’ in ritardo. |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | Quella è una crepa nella vasca? |
| Oh, sorry, I also need a grater for the cheese. | Oh, scusa, mi serve anche una grattugia per il formaggio. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Ok, eccoci qui, questa è Honeybrook Street. |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Non penso, i treni partono ogni 20 minuti circa. |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Vuoi scommetterci? |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Deve essere a letto, di solito anche lui lavora la sera. |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | A volte non riconosce neppure mia mamma. |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Ma dobbiamo fare in fretta, non ho molto tempo. |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Esattamente, una chiede 3500, l’altra 3000… |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Ci sono delle macchie di calcare sopra! |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| Do you think electric stoves are better? | Credi che i fornelli elettrici siano meglio? |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Sono sicuro che sia al solito posto. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Nemmeno a me piacciono gli ospedali. |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | Ehi Mike, sembri molto preoccupato! |