







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 | |
|---|---|
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Guarda, si può vedere un tramonto bellissimo da questo punto. |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Ci vogliono solo 15 o 20 minuti. |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Non voglio che tu spenda una fortuna. |
| 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. |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | È per via del prezzo, o per un altro motivo? |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Non voglio più restare in questa casa! |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Ehi, cos’è successo? Va tutto bene? |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Beh, invece del pollo puoi provare l’anatra, è gustosa! |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un corso di un anno? Che tipo di corso è? |
| 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. |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Mi sveglio e faccio il letto e poi riordino la stanza. |
| That's very interesting! | Molto interessante! |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hai detto in Russia? Insolito! |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Uova e bacon con un po’ di olive mi bastano. |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Ti ricordi il nome del pub? |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Perché sono sicura che non servano insetti a Londra! |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Grazie ancora per avermi ceduto il posto. |
| How long does it usually take? | Quanto ci vuole di solito? |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |