







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 | |
|---|---|
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | No, le oyster card servono solo per i mezzi pubblici a Londra. |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear è seduto qui con me, con il pistolino all’aria. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Ad ogni modo, cos’altro c’è rimasto da fare adesso? |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Dov’è Flora, non è qui? |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ho fame, ma è meglio prendere qualcosa quando incontriamo i ragazzi. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Lo chiamo adesso allora, vuoi qualcos’altro? |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Credo che dovremmo aspettare un po’ prima che se ne vada tutto il fumo. |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Erm… Sì… Certo! È il nostro primo anniversario! |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Ehi, l’cqua sta bollendo, vuoi che la versi in una pentola? |
| Do you want me to get you a glass of wine? | Vuoi che ti prenda un bicchiere di vino? |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Questo tipo di persone irresponsabili mi fanno arrabbiare! |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | Voglio dormire un po' dato che è festa. |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Quanto dovrebbero pagarti? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Il gatto in realtà non è mio, è il gatto della mia ragazza. |
| I wish you all the best. | Ti auguro tutto il meglio |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ehm, a proposito, dato che siamo sull’argomento… |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quale appuntamento? Vuoi dire la casa ad Angel? |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Penso che *la mano prende fuoco* sia una battuta! |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Scusa, mi sono dimenticato di dirtelo, devi aprire il rubinetto molto delicatamente. |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |