







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 | |
|---|---|
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | E secondariamente, i veterinari sono così cari! |
| I'm a web designer. | Sono un Web designer. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Mi dispiace dire che non sono ammessi animali domestici in casa! |
| No, I don't have one! | No, non ce l’ho! |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Mi stai davvero facendo questa domanda? |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | Sì, credo che il logo stia molto meglio al centro, tu cosa ne pensi? |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Penso che *la mano prende fuoco* sia una battuta! |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Bello… Spero non sia una teenager! Quanti anni ha? |
| How long does it usually take? | Quanto ci vuole di solito? |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Si sono io, come stai? |
| He is fine. | Sta bene. |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Andiamo Mike, non si tratta di quando io sono a casa. |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Ti sto solo stuzzicando mia cara, 200° va bene! |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Ma una costa £ 2,44 e l’altra £ 1,22. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Sì, è normale, a volte soffia anche ai miei calzini nuovi! |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Questo ti aiuta a credermi? |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | Possiamo vederci là alle 20:30, o è troppo tardi? |
| Okay, we have all the things we need, then. | Ok abbiamo tutto quello che ci serve allora. |