







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | Vuoi che ti faccia una tazza di tè o caffè? |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | Ma… Non sono brava a mentire… |
| Thank you very much! | Grazie mille! |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Scusa, mi sono dimenticato di dirtelo, devi aprire il rubinetto molto delicatamente. |
| Is there any other cat around? | C’è un qualche altro gatto in giro? |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Cosa ne pensi di lui Cate? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Sì, sta assolutamente bene dopo aver riposato per un po'. |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo però odia ancora venire dal veterinario! |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bene! Chi vuole lo Chardonnay allora? |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |
| No, what is that? | No, che cosa? |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Si tratta del mio adorabile gattino, Pogo! |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | Per quanto ne so i chow non sono buoni con gli altri animali. |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | Di solito è in cima a destra dello schermo. |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Sì, ma la stanza è quadrata e ci sono solo quattro oggetti principali dentro. |
| 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. |