







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 | |
|---|---|
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | La barba mi fa sembrare più vecchio, credo. |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Ma non penso di poterli usare tutti, sono troppi! |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Mangiare gli avanzi durante la settimana mi fa risparmiare un po’ di tempo. |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Sì, ma il tuo non è così ovvio. |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Posso portarlo come quando ritorno per colazione. |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Mi dispiace molto, ma dobbiamo cancellare il nostro appuntamento di oggi. |
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | Sì l’ho fatto, perché, non è normale? |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Cosa ne pensi di lui Cate? |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Io penso di avere un’idea migliore su cosa possiamo farci con il letto! |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Li vedo molto in giro dove lavoro in realtà. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Lo fa solo quando è estremamente stressato! |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Il mio affitto è mensile, pago £ 600 al mese. |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Grazie, sì, come ho detto, Camden è in zona 2… |
| Okay, that's fine. | Ok va bene. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Questo è il mio ragazzo, Mike. |
| My friend noted here it is your wedding anniversary! | Il mio amico ha annotato qui che è il vostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Magari preferiscono i fornelli elettrici nelle case condivise per motivi di sicurezza. |
| What else do we need? | Cos’altro ci serve? |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Grazie, caro… Per avermi aiutato a mentire! |
| No, what is that? | No, che cosa? |