







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 | |
|---|---|
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Non sono davvero dell'umore giusto per unirmi a loro. |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Sai, lei normalmente è una persona estremamente tranquille e calma. |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Bravo Beary! Vedi, è solo un piccolo amico. |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Sto andando a Brighton, sono quasi arrivato! |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Perché pensi che sia strano? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Quindi vuoi che mi trovi una casa da sola? |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Sì, credo che uccidere le zanzare vada bene. |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Le mie sorelle vivono vicine, la aiutano qualche volta. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Non voglio più restare in questa casa! |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | Ehm, era la manager del marketing dell’azienda. |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Ehm... Ne dimostri circa 30? |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Che c’è? Va tutto bene? |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La ricetta non viene da Internet, è di un libro di Jaimie Oliver. |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Voglio dire, sembri troppo giovane per essere un insegnante. |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| That's where Diego works, too! | È anche dove lavora Diego! |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | I miei padroni di casa sono una coppia gay. |
| 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. |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Ehi, c’è uno sconosciuto in bagno, chi è? |