







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 see, I love cooking! | Capisco, io adoro cucinare! |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | Guarda lo scaffale, l’etichetta dice £ 2,20 chilo. |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | Suppongo che il tempo per te non passi mai quando sono via. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Mi piacciono le serate fuori fra ragazze. |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un corso di un anno? Che tipo di corso è? |
| How is there four of us? | Com’è che siamo in quattro? |
| It sounds important. | Sembra importante. |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | C’è un’intera confezione da 500 g chiusa. |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Ma tutti quanti lo chiamano Rocco. |
| Yes, I think she's great! | Sì, penso sia fantastica! |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | Ecco prendi, attento, è molto caldo. |
| Is your father sick? | Tuo padre è malato? |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Le regole per la dogana sono molto rigide in Australia. |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Ma penso valga solo per le donne più anziane. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | E secondariamente, i veterinari sono così cari! |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Ti ricordi il nome del pub? |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Gli chiederò di portare fuori Bear, così noi possiamo fare colazione. |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | Pensi davvero che possiamo permetterci un addetto alle pulizie? |
| 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. |