







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 | |
|---|---|
| He is a Chow Chow. | È un Chow Chow. |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Ehilà, sei pronta? |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Vuoi che faccia a fette qualche fungo per te? |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Grazie, caro… Per avermi aiutato a mentire! |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Ma Tesco è più grande, c’è più varietà di prodotti. |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Ma certo! È il mio pub preferito. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Le regole per la dogana sono molto rigide in Australia. |
| I mostly work till late at night, I never wake up at 7 in the morning. | Io lavoro per lo più fino a tardi la sera, non mi sveglio mai alle sette di mattina. |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | Suppongo che la mia unica scelta sia venire a casa tua! |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Prima di tutto, è tristissimo vedere soffrire il tuo animale domestico. |
| My cat is in the garden. | Il mio gatto è in giardino. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Come arrivi a Brighton? |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Sono un po' stanca e ho molta fame. |
| Do you want me to call them? | Vuoi che li chiami io? |
| 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. |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quale appuntamento? Vuoi dire la casa ad Angel? |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Eccetto le zanzare perché mi rovinano il sonno. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |