







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 | |
|---|---|
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Non preoccuparti Mike, penso che questo sia meglio. |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Il vero problema non è la riunione! |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ho fame, ma è meglio prendere qualcosa quando incontriamo i ragazzi. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Davvero? Come faccio a svegliarti? |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Ciao amico, dove sei? |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Grazie, ne ho 26. |
| His name's Sergio. | Si chiama Sergio. |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | No, mi fa venire il mal di testa! |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Non raccogli mai la cacca di Bear dal marciapiede. |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | Bello, mi piace la musica e il testo. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Il gatto di chi?… Vuol dire il mio gatto? |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Sembra essere interessato a te! |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Qualcun altro vuole qualcosa da bere? |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Hai ragione, probabilmente vale più di una sigaretta. |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | Ecco perché non mi fido mai delle persone tranquille… |
| Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | Perché? Non metto mai il punto interrogativo Quando cerco qualcosa! |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Vogliamo vederci alla stazione ferroviaria o vuoi che passi a prenderti a casa tua? |
| What else do we need? | Cos’altro ci serve? |