







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 | |
|---|---|
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Naturalmente, ho fatto le mie ricerche, è lungo 525 m. |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok l’ho trovato… Ma sembra sporco! |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Non so in realtà, tu? |
| Her name is Ayumi! | Si chiama Ayumi! |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Ma non penso di poterli usare tutti, sono troppi! |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Come osa… È così stupido!!! |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Ti piace anche andare in treno? |
| Sorry, madam, Friday is one of our busiest nights! | Mi spiace, signora, venerdì è una delle nostre sere più affollate! |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Fammi controllare, ci serve solo il burro. |
| Do you think electric stoves are better? | Credi che i fornelli elettrici siano meglio? |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Sembri un po’ triste, stai bene? |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | È possibile non riuscire a trovare biglietti di ritorno? |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Sembra un mix di inglese e australiano. |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | Possiamo vederci là alle 20:30, o è troppo tardi? |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | Che bello, cosa cucini di solito? |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Beh, parla di un ragazzino, voglio dire un robot. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Non ne ho idea… Ma spero che abbia una buona scusa! |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Mi piacciono i ristoranti di frutti di mare là. |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | È tutta colpa tua! Mi sento così in imbarazzo ora… |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Salve, sei tu Cate? |