







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 | |
|---|---|
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Ci vediamo Mike, spero di rivederti. |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oddio, è la seconda cosa che odio fare di più in cucina! |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | È un’ottima scelta, fanno anche degli ottimi calamari qui. |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | Ma… Non sono brava a mentire… |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Aspetta un minuto, sono entrambe da 300 g e della stessa marca. |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Prima vuoi che metta il pollo nella pentola a pressione? |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Congratulazioni… Ma Pogo è il nome di un animale domestico? |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ah, mi spiace molto, ma stasera siamo al completo! |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Ehilà, sei pronta? |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | No non cucino cose sofisticate, solo piatti normali. |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Non è per me, è per il riso caro! |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Grazie per la considerazione, caro. |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | Vero! Quant’è il tuo affitto? |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Una combinazione molto interessante. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Tua mamma riesce a gestire la situazione da sola? |
| 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. |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Scusa, non servono le patatine qui… |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Sì, è molto importante per me, in realtà. |