







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 | |
|---|---|
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | A quanto pare dovrai cambiare i tuoi piani di cucina adesso! |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Sì, sembra più logico in questo caso. |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Ma certo! È il mio pub preferito. |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Aspetta, c’è un altro sito web che dice… |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Vuoi che lavi la bottiglia di vino prima di versarlo? |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | Suppongo che il tempo per te non passi mai quando sono via. |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mio Dio! È quasi mezzogiorno in punto. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Sì, mi piacciono anche loro. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Ma a volte mi sento in colpa a non essere là! |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Facciamo i conti, io pago 135 a settimana per una persona… |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | Sono dunque £ 5 di più della stanza più grande! |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Congratulazioni… Ma Pogo è il nome di un animale domestico? |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Mi dispiace per non essere venuto all’apertura. |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | Ho portato fuori Bear e sto per uscire. |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | Voglio essere sobrio e energetico per domani. |
| That's where Diego works, too! | È anche dove lavora Diego! |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Sì, è normale, a volte soffia anche ai miei calzini nuovi! |