







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Certo! Perché è così importante per te? |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hai dei fratelli o sorelle? |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Grazie al cielo non c'è nulla di cui preoccuparsi. |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | No, perché è pazza e può fare male a Pogo e Bear! |
| Set times always stress me out. | Gli orari fissi mi provocano sempre stress. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | È l’idraulico, cara, a quanto pare è ostruito. |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Ma penso valga solo per le donne più anziane. |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Spero che non sia l’indirizzo giusto! Sembra terribile. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh davvero? Non va bene. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Mi fa piacere sentirlo. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Vuoi che la butti nella spazzatura? |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Non so, massimo 33? |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Entrate, qui c’è il pianterreno, abbiamo due camere da letto… |
| Is there any other cat around? | C’è un qualche altro gatto in giro? |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | Marvine Gaye, anni 60, ma questo è il remix. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | E secondariamente, i veterinari sono così cari! |
| You look much younger than that. | Sembri molto più giovane. |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Poi però voglio farlo arrosto. |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | È per via del prezzo, o per un altro motivo? |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Sì, è una buona idea! |