







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 not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Sì va bene stiamo per andarcene. |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Sarebbe fantastico! Pensi sia possibile? |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Hmm, mi piace pop, rock, funk. |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Il vero problema non è la riunione! |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | Sì, io prendo una birra, presumo tu voglia del vino, Cate? |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | Perché non prendete quella allora? Volete vedere piano di sopra o no? |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Non penso che dovremo pagarlo. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | No, non so cosa c’è di tuo nel frigo. |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | C'è tutto il mio lavoro in quel laptop e non ho nessun backup! |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | Inoltre, ci lavora uno dei miei amici. |
| How old are you? | Quanti anni hai tu? |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | Voglio essere sobrio e energetico per domani. |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Ti ricordi il nome del pub? |
| Why is that? | Perché? |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Naturalmente, ho fatto le mie ricerche, è lungo 525 m. |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Grazie al cielo non c'è nulla di cui preoccuparsi. |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | Ho cercato: Pinocchio sa di non essere un bambino vero. |
| I hope he gets well soon. | Spero che possa riprendersi presto. |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Non abbiamo ancora quel sistema a Brighton. |