







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 | |
|---|---|
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Esattamente, quindi pensi che le lumache siano insetti o no? |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Magari conosco il tuo amico. |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Posso portarlo come quando ritorno per colazione. |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-da eccola qui… |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ho fame, ma è meglio prendere qualcosa quando incontriamo i ragazzi. |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | Già, la confezione è strappata ma non è scaduto. |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | Sì, ti sento, ma non capisco! |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Ciao, scusa se sono un po’ in ritardo. |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | C’è un’intera confezione da 500 g chiusa. |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Penso che *la mano prende fuoco* sia una battuta! |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm… Sì, mi servono funghi, brodo, sedano… |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Ok, non mi piace cucinare, ma mi piace assaggiare il cibo. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Tua mamma riesce a gestire la situazione da sola? |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, scusa! A te non piace pulire le cose, posso farlo io. |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Guarda, si può vedere un tramonto bellissimo da questo punto. |
| It's almost 09:30. | Sono quasi le 9:30. |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Sì, è molto importante per me, in realtà. |
| Are you close friends? | Siete buoni amici? |