







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 | |
|---|---|
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Il gatto di chi?… Vuol dire il mio gatto? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Ma certo! È il mio pub preferito. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Chiamiamolo sesto senso! |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Ciao, che razza di cane hai Mike? |
| The rice section is over there. | La sezione riso è laggiù. |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh f*nculo, devo andare ora… |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | È per via del prezzo, o per un altro motivo? |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Congratulazioni, buona fortuna. |
| Is that you, Mike? | Sei tu, Mike? |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | Difficile a credersi ma abbiamo una pentola a pressione in casa. |
| I hate taking long flights! | Odio i voli lunghi! |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Perché pensi che sia strano? |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Ok, quello grattugiato ha il 20% di sconto oggi. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Puoi mostrarmi quali vestiti devo mettere via, allora? |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Penso di sì, almeno non c’è aggressività. |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Il resto della casa va bene, ma la cucina è un po’ sporca. |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | In questi giorni mi piacciono i remix anni 60 e 70. |
| Okay, so do you want me to make 3 serves? | Ok, allora vuoi che faccia 3 porzioni? |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Non penso sia febbre da fieno! Credo sia per via del gatto… |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Grazie ancora per avermi ceduto il posto. |