







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 | |
|---|---|
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Fammi controllare, ci serve solo il burro. |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Sì, sembra più logico in questo caso. |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Sì, è molto importante per me, in realtà. |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | La ricetta è per 6 persone. |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | No, questo è il marchio del negozio, ecco perché non è troppo costoso. |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | Di solito è in cima a destra dello schermo. |
| Absolutely not, while you are working you smoke like a chimney. | Assolutamente no, mentre lavori fumi come una ciminiera. |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Sono un po' stanca e ho molta fame. |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | Non è troppo presto per la cena? |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Mi scusi signore, ecco i vostri drink e il menù. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Sì, è stato piuttosto facile, vivo molto vicino. |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | Dato che fumo, io preferisco sedermi fuori. |
| As a result, he starts pooping and peeing all over the house. | Come risultato, inizia a fare la cacca e la pipì in tutta la casa. |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | La barba mi fa sembrare più vecchio, credo. |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Non posso chiamarlo al momento perché il suo telefono è irraggiungibile. |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Penso che Diego ed io siamo gli unici fumatori in casa. |
| How is it my fault? | Com’è che è colpa mia? |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Già, è una nazione piuttosto grande, più tipo un continente. |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Ok, a quale temperatura vuoi che lo metta? |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | È un… Scusa Mike, cosa fai? |