







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 really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Non lo so davvero, ma credo sia più vecchia di 100 anni. |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Scusa, spero di non aver rovinato i tuoi ricordi d’infanzia… |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Sto andando a Brighton, sono quasi arrivato! |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Sembra un mix di inglese e australiano. |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Non mi sembri un insegnante di inglese. |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | Naturalmente, lei è un angelo, vuoi parlare con la tua mamma? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Il gatto in realtà non è mio, è il gatto della mia ragazza. |
| How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
| I feel hungry, too. | Anch'io ho fame. |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Sì, costano tutti all’incirca 2 sterline. |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Ci sono delle patatine o qualche spuntino? |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-da eccola qui… |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | Credo di sì, ma voglio finire di vedere tutte le case oggi. |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Sono mezza inglese e mezza australiana. |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Allora, non penso che dobbiamo vedere la prossima! |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Ecco perché l’affitto è molto più basso della media. |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | No, ma non gli fa bene fare le scale su e giù tutti i giorni. |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | Mi piacerebbe… Ma ho anche altre cose da fare… |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Si sono io, come stai? |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Scusami, devo andare al bagno. |