







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 | |
|---|---|
| How much rice do you need? | Di quanto riso hai bisogno? |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Hm, ok… Penso di aver capito, è come Pinocchio? |
| That's very interesting! | Molto interessante! |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Mi dispiace, a volte non sono bravo a ricordarmi i nomi! |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Quindi, è ovvio che non hai idea di quanto costi affittare una casa. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Perché non hai risposto al telefono? |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | Vuoi che ti faccia una tazza di tè o caffè? |
| You look much younger than that. | Sembri molto più giovane. |
| Sorry, I don't have much time, can I tell you the story when I'm back? | Scusa, non ho molto tempo, posso raccontarvi la storia quando torno? |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Ehm, ora non mi viene, ma suppongo sia più di 150 anni. |
| Are you serious? | Dici sul serio? |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Non penso sia possibile trovare delle altre variazioni. |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | Scusi, è possibile vederla questo sabato dopo le 2:00? |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Non capisco perché la chiamano ferie bancaria. |
| Do you have their number? | Hai il loro numero? |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Sono le 4 e mezza, quindi siamo giusto in tempo. |
| You are lucky! | Che fortuna! |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | I miei coinquilini non puliscono nulla in cucina. |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | Ho un appuntamento con gli affari interni per l’estensione del mio visto. |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | È quello con la lingua blu? |