







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 | |
|---|---|
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Il vero problema non è la riunione! |
| I hope it’s not serious. | Spero non sia niente di serio. |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Non mi aspettavo succedesse una cosa del genere, quindi non ho un piano. |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Il mio film preferito è Pulp Fiction. |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, penso di conoscerli. |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Vogliamo vederci alla stazione ferroviaria o vuoi che passi a prenderti a casa tua? |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Non preoccuparti Mike, penso che questo sia meglio. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Bene, credo che mi piace molto la casa! |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | Io sono solo fino a quando non arriverà il mio amico. |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | Sembra che non ci sia nessuno in casa! |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Credo di meritarmi un bacio… |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartamento non è una buona idea per Bear, non ha un giardino. |
| I live very close by. | Vivo molto vicino. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Non importa, credo siano alla stessa distanza. |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Certo, la nostra cucina è stata rinnovata di recente… |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Un po’ estremo, non penso che abbiamo un mortaio e pestello. |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Ti aspetti che faccia diventare la stanza più grande spingendo i muri? |
| Good thanks, I'm fine, too. | Bene grazie, sto bene anch’io. |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Dov’è il mio f*ttuto deca? |