







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 me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Vuoi che faccia a fette qualche fungo per te? |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | La mia moglie adorata mi dice sempre quanto sono buoni i vostri involtini primavera. |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Grazie, caro… Per avermi aiutato a mentire! |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Credo che dovremmo aspettare un po’ prima che se ne vada tutto il fumo. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Mi fa piacere sentirlo. |
| How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Conosci il pub dietro l'angolo? |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Ecco a lei signore, il suo scontrino e il suo cashback da £ 20. |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Naturalmente, oh, c’è una pizza mezza mangiata nel forno. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | La prima è lavare i piatti o pulire? |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | La gente porta le posate nella propria stanza e non le riporta indietro! |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Ci vediamo Mike, spero di rivederti. |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | Ecco perché non riesci a trovare la risposta! |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Ok, quanto sale vuoi che ci metta? |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | È come; l'autobus che stai aspettando non arriva mai. |
| We all love bank holidays. | A tutti noi piacciono le ferie bancarie. |
| Until you just light your cigarette. | Fino a quando non ti accendi una sigaretta. |
| I know, I thought you might like to have it with her alone. | Lo so, pensavo che ti facesse piacere farla con lei da solo. |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Qual è il tuo budget mensile massimo per l’affitto? |