







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 didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Non ho detto che è colpa tua, ma ora è il tuo turno… |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | È molto difficile per me andare là più di una volta all’anno. |
| His name's Sergio. | Si chiama Sergio. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Ad ogni modo, ti rimangono solo 10 giorni per lasciare quella casa. |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | In questi giorni mi piacciono i remix anni 60 e 70. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Sì, è stato piuttosto facile, vivo molto vicino. |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Non sono stata là prima, dov’è? |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Sì, e il mercato è bello, Camden Lock è in zona 2 o 3? |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Entrate, qui c’è il pianterreno, abbiamo due camere da letto… |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Che tipo di musica ti piace di più? |
| I hate taking long flights! | Odio i voli lunghi! |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Beh, parla di un ragazzino, voglio dire un robot. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hai dei fratelli o sorelle? |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Mi dispiace molto, ma dobbiamo cancellare il nostro appuntamento di oggi. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Non posso chiamarlo al momento perché il suo telefono è irraggiungibile. |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Naturalmente, ecco qui, questo è il bagno. |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Va più veloce, ma non vogliamo camminare fino alla stazione della metro. |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Questo è l’ultimo e sfortunatamente c’è un buco. |