







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 | |
|---|---|
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un corso di un anno? Che tipo di corso è? |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Davvero? Come faccio a svegliarti? |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo però odia ancora venire dal veterinario! |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hmmm... Domani è Un giorno di ferie bancaria. |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Non siamo in quattro caro? |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Ciao Beatrix, sono io, Cate. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | No, non so cosa c’è di tuo nel frigo. |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Ce n'è uno alle 11:00 e quello dopo alle 11:20. |
| Where are you? | Dove sei? |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Ce ne sono molti altri, ma penso che gumtree.com sia il migliore. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Vuoi che la butti nella spazzatura? |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Naturalmente, ci sono 4 ragazze, tutte studentesse universitarie dalla Germania. |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | Quindi sarebbero 2800 al mese! |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | È sulla linea Northern, la stessa che usiamo qui. |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | Oh guarda questo ragazzone, diventa più grande ogni volta che lo vedo! |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | È ad Islington, zona 1, per me il luogo migliore finora. |
| How long does the flight usually take? | Quanto dura di solito il volo? |
| I prefer red onions. | Preferisco le cipolle rosse. |