







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 | |
|---|---|
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Ecco a lei signore, il suo scontrino e il suo cashback da £ 20. |
| I hate taking long flights! | Odio i voli lunghi! |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | È impossibile per me fare la pendolare dalla zona 9 alla 1 tutti i giorni. |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Quindi 2017 meno 1841 uguale… |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | La mia moglie adorata mi dice sempre quanto sono buoni i vostri involtini primavera. |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Aspetta un minuto, sono entrambe da 300 g e della stessa marca. |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | Ecco perché non riesci a trovare la risposta! |
| There is no table for you, then! | Allora niente tavolo per te! |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Come sta tua mamma, lei ha qualche problema di salute? |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh f*nculo, devo andare ora… |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Non penso sia febbre da fieno! Credo sia per via del gatto… |
| My cat is in the garden. | Il mio gatto è in giardino. |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | Ho bisogno di usare il brodo di pollo per il risotto! |
| You look much younger than that. | Sembri molto più giovane. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Pronto signora, è ancora in linea? |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Penso che Diego ed io siamo gli unici fumatori in casa. |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | E dobbiamo pesare tutto quanto noi, eccetera. |
| How old do I look? | Quanti anni dimostro? |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Amico, mi dispiace davvero! |
| What kind of trick is that? | Che tipo di trucco? |