







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why is that rice so special? | Perché quel riso è tanto speciale? |
| Hmm.. yes, we get on really well. | Hmmm... si, andiamo molto d'accordo. |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Beh, invece del pollo puoi provare l’anatra, è gustosa! |
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | Attenti al terzo scalino, non è molto stabile. |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Conosci il pub dietro l'angolo? |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Pronto, Cate? |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | Sì, ti sento, ma non capisco! |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | Credo di sì, ma voglio finire di vedere tutte le case oggi. |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Credo di sì, così può dare un’occhiata in giro mentre Bear non c’è. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Sì, mi piacciono anche loro. |
| I need to wake him up now! | Devo andare a svegliarlo! |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Grazie, ci vediamo là sabato alle 13:00. |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Ehi, qual è la stazione più vicina a Chinatown? |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Giusto, sono sicuro che non pagano così tanto! |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Già, è una nazione piuttosto grande, più tipo un continente. |
| The rice section is over there. | La sezione riso è laggiù. |