







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 old do I look? | Quanti anni dimostro? |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Le confezioni hanno 2 pezzi dentro. |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Sai, ad alcune persone non piace mettere il proprio annuncio su Internet. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia un grosso problema per lui. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | A proposito, il deposito è £ 3000 e non trattabile… |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | So cucinare, naturalmente, ma solo quando mi va. |
| Is she here with you? | Lei è qui con te? |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Voglio provare il Sauvignon Blanc. |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Siamo tornati, dov’è Bear? |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Poi lui scopre di essere un robot, non un bambino vero. |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | O peggio, a volte fanno una festa a casa! |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Sono mezza inglese e mezza australiana. |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Ok, magari è meglio se ti riposi un po’. |
| Isn't that funny? | Non è divertente? |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | No, in realtà è addestrato molto bene a fare i bisogni. |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | Ehm, era la manager del marketing dell’azienda. |
| What's the date today? | Che giorno è oggi? |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Non sono stata là prima, dov’è? |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | Voglio che controlli i termosifoni nelle stanze già che è qui! |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | Difficile a credersi ma abbiamo una pentola a pressione in casa. |