







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | Sono dunque £ 5 di più della stanza più grande! |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Grazie per la considerazione, caro. |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, il teriyaki è giapponese, siamo in un ristorante cinese. |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Mi scusi signore, ecco i vostri drink e il menù. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Ciao amico mio, come stai? |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | Indosso alcuni, posso controllare quando torno? |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Umm, puoi dire loro che è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio. |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | È Leicester Square o Piccadilly Circus? |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Sì, ma la stanza è quadrata e ci sono solo quattro oggetti principali dentro. |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Guarda, lì c’è un commesso. |
| Set times always stress me out. | Gli orari fissi mi provocano sempre stress. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Ad ogni modo, cos’altro c’è rimasto da fare adesso? |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Mi dispiace ma ho cattive notizie sulla stanza… |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Perché non paghiamo 100 di più a testa, e prendiamo una casa a Mayfair? |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | Sì, decisamente non gli piace cambiare aria. |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | Il ragazzino pensa di essere un robot o il robot pensa di essere un ragazzino? |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Non voglio che tu spenda una fortuna. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Ma a volte mi sento in colpa a non essere là! |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Hai ragione, probabilmente vale più di una sigaretta. |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Ehi, qual è la stazione più vicina a Chinatown? |