







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's got some water marks on it! | Ci sono delle macchie di calcare sopra! |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Grazie, ci vediamo là sabato alle 13:00. |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Non penso sia febbre da fieno! Credo sia per via del gatto… |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quale appuntamento? Vuoi dire la casa ad Angel? |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| The rice section is over there. | La sezione riso è laggiù. |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Grazie padre, dov’è il guinzaglio di Bear? |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Già, è una nazione piuttosto grande, più tipo un continente. |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Salve, il mio nome è Mike, sono il ragazzo di Cate… |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Va più veloce, ma non vogliamo camminare fino alla stazione della metro. |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | Spero tu ti renda conto che sono i tuoi ultimi 3 giorni per trovare una casa… |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Non capisco perché la chiamano ferie bancaria. |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | Bene, vedere tre case in un giorno non è male. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Naturalmente, il mio nome è Cate e il mio numero è 077… |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Ehilà, sei pronta? |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Si sono io, come stai? |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | No, le oyster card servono solo per i mezzi pubblici a Londra. |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mio marito ed io lo apprezziamo molto. |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | No, perché è pazza e può fare male a Pogo e Bear! |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Non ne ho idea… Ma spero che abbia una buona scusa! |