







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 | |
|---|---|
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Davvero? Non vorrei rovinare i tuoi piani, ma… |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Per il risotto ho bisogno di un po’ di riso arborio. |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Che piani hai Cate? |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Ok, non mi piace cucinare, ma mi piace assaggiare il cibo. |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Mi piacciono i ristoranti di frutti di mare là. |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Non è per me, è per il riso caro! |
| Yeah, I guess normally you go to work around 06:30. | Già, normalmente mi sembra vai al lavoro attorno alle 6:30. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Non ne ho idea… Ma spero che abbia una buona scusa! |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Se stai per chiedermi dei soldi, non ne ho neppure io. |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | No, perché è pazza e può fare male a Pogo e Bear! |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Li vedo molto in giro dove lavoro in realtà. |
| It's the second one from the top. | È il secondo da sopra. |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Non penso sia rotta. |
| Okay, who sings it? | Ok, chi canta? |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Cos’altro potrei fare? Vuoi che non dorma finché muoio? |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Vuoi che la butti nella spazzatura? |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | Sembra che tu abbia un po’ di esperienza con il caffè. |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | No, lei sta assolutamente bene, grazie al cielo. |
| Do you have another one? | Ne hai un altro? |