







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | Ecco perché non mi fido mai delle persone tranquille… |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Grazie per la considerazione, caro. |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Si, il mio numero è 0773***0282 |
| 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. |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Non posso chiamarlo al momento perché il suo telefono è irraggiungibile. |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, stai bene? Mi sembra un po’ aggressiva. |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | Il 50% di 135 è67,50… E fa un totale di 202,50. |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Spero che non sia l’indirizzo giusto! Sembra terribile. |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | Che bello, cosa cucini di solito? |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |
| That's very interesting! | Molto interessante! |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | Sembra che Pogo voglia andare in giardino. |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Non pensi che due forchette siano abbastanza per noi? |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Non raccogli mai la cacca di Bear dal marciapiede. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Puoi mostrarmi quali vestiti devo mettere via, allora? |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Sono mezza inglese e mezza australiana. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Abbiamo un mortaio e pestello? |
| I've experienced how difficult and expensive it can be. | Ho visto quanto può essere difficile e costoso. |