







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 haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Nemmeno io l’ho vista, e non voglio proprio farlo… |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, è un continente! |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | La ricetta dice 600 g. |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Non siamo in quattro caro? |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | Ok, allora voglio qualcosa di simile! |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Esattamente, odio essere svegliato nel bel mezzo della notte! |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | È febbre da fieno? Ho delle pillole per quella! |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Esattamente, quindi pensi che le lumache siano insetti o no? |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, spiacente, sfortunatamente, quel tavolo è prenotato. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Ad ogni modo, questa è Cate e le sue amiche dal lavoro. |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Grazie padre, dov’è il guinzaglio di Bear? |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Non è per me, è per il riso caro! |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Naturalmente, ho fatto le mie ricerche, è lungo 525 m. |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | A volte esco con le ragazze della scuola. |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Sono sicuro che sia al solito posto. |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Siamo tornati, dov’è Bear? |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | È come; l'autobus che stai aspettando non arriva mai. |