







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 | |
|---|---|
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Grazie Rocco, è tutto per ora. |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Ma Tesco è più grande, c’è più varietà di prodotti. |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Sai, ad alcune persone non piace mettere il proprio annuncio su Internet. |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! Questa è Cate, lei è la mia… amica, da Londra. |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | Ma voglio vedere il molo di Brighton prima che cali il sole. |
| Is that what you want me to do? | È quello che vuoi che faccia? |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Magari possiamo prendere qualcosa mentre andiamo alla stazione. |
| 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. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Perché, che c'è che non va? |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Quindi Pogo va molto d’accordo con i cani. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Nemmeno a me piacciono gli ospedali. |
| There is a little market near the school. | C’è un piccolo alimentari dietro la scuola. |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Penso che Diego ed io siamo gli unici fumatori in casa. |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Non ho tempo di cucinare tutti i giorni. |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Ce ne sono molti altri, ma penso che gumtree.com sia il migliore. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| Do we have any paper towels? | Abbiamo della carta assorbente? |
| I see, I love cooking! | Capisco, io adoro cucinare! |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | Ho cercato: Pinocchio sa di non essere un bambino vero. |