







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 | |
|---|---|
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, il teriyaki è giapponese, siamo in un ristorante cinese. |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Vuoi dire il tizio con la barba? |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Questo è l’ultimo e sfortunatamente c’è un buco. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Credo che voglia bere un po’ d’acqua. |
| What's wrong with him? | Che cos'ha che non va? |
| Is that you, Mike? | Sei tu, Mike? |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalmente le ragazze controllano la lista dei vini per mezz’ora prima di ordinare. |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Le mie sorelle vivono vicine, la aiutano qualche volta. |
| I usually take the train. | Di solito prendo il treno. |
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | È perché gli altri inquilini non vogliono animali? |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | C’è un problema con la batteria del tuo telefono? |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Quindi 2017 meno 1841 uguale… |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Vuoi che chiami Diego allora? |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, stai bene? Mi sembra un po’ aggressiva. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Ad ogni modo, cos’altro c’è rimasto da fare adesso? |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Ad ogni modo, questa è Cate e le sue amiche dal lavoro. |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | Tutto quanto è come descritto nell’annuncio. |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear è seduto qui con me, con il pistolino all’aria. |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Ehi, qual è la stazione più vicina a Chinatown? |