







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 | |
|---|---|
| Because you are in it. | Perché ci sei tu. |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Magari è davvero allergica ai gatti, non lo sappiamo. |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | Scusi, è possibile vederla questo sabato dopo le 2:00? |
| There is no table for you, then! | Allora niente tavolo per te! |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Naturalmente, ho fatto le mie ricerche, è lungo 525 m. |
| Okay, if you say so, I trust you! | Ok, se lo dici tu, mi fido! |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo però odia ancora venire dal veterinario! |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Ok, a quale temperatura vuoi che lo metta? |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | Stavi spiegando perché sei qui alle 7:30 del mattino. |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Grazie al cielo non c'è nulla di cui preoccuparsi. |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | Perché? Mi sembra piuttosto pulito! |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Per il risotto ho bisogno di un po’ di riso arborio. |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Sarebbe fantastico! Pensi sia possibile? |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Si, il mio numero è 0773***0282 |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Chiamiamolo sesto senso! |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Grazie, ne ho 26. |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Il resto della casa va bene, ma la cucina è un po’ sporca. |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Mi piacciono i ristoranti di frutti di mare là. |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | Credo che ordinerò l’anatra, è deliziosa. |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |