







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 | |
|---|---|
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Andiamo caro, sai che lo vuoi! |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Di sopra, c’è Diego e una coppia inglese vicino a lui. |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | Ma Bear ha la displasia ad un’anca. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Perché pensi che sia strano? |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | Quella è una crepa nella vasca? |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Certamente cara, vuoi un bicchiere o una bottiglia? |
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | È perché gli altri inquilini non vogliono animali? |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Non mi piace il loro Chardonnay. |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Non preoccuparti Diego, non ha niente a che vedere con te! |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Ma Tesco è più grande, c’è più varietà di prodotti. |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Il vero problema non è la riunione! |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Questo è l’ultimo e sfortunatamente c’è un buco. |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Certo, la nostra cucina è stata rinnovata di recente… |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Vogliamo vederci alla stazione ferroviaria o vuoi che passi a prenderti a casa tua? |
| Yes, that's the one. | Sì, proprio quello. |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Bravo Beary! Vedi, è solo un piccolo amico. |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Con i fornelli a gas qualcuno può lasciare il gas acceso, è troppo pericoloso! |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | Già, la confezione è strappata ma non è scaduto. |