







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 | |
|---|---|
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Io penso di avere un’idea migliore su cosa possiamo farci con il letto! |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Va bene, affare fatto! Hai 3 giorni per pensare, a partire da ora! |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | In più il bagno e la cucina sono puliti. |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hai guardato con attenzione, non abbiamo davvero nulla? |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hai dei fratelli o sorelle? |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, scusa! A te non piace pulire le cose, posso farlo io. |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Ok, quello grattugiato ha il 20% di sconto oggi. |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Sì, forse, ma sono un po’ occupato con alcuni progetti in questi giorni. |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Il vero problema non è la riunione! |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Salve, sei tu Cate? |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Ma penso valga solo per le donne più anziane. |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | Perché? Mi sembra piuttosto pulito! |
| I usually take the train. | Di solito prendo il treno. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | C’è qualcos’altro che vuoi che faccia? |
| No, they live in Australia. | No, loro vivono in Australia. |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Il mio affitto è mensile, pago £ 600 al mese. |
| Is it really on the menu? | C’è davvero sul menu? |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Esattamente, una chiede 3500, l’altra 3000… |
| I'm a web designer. | Sono un Web designer. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Cucino per la maggior parte piatti a base di carne, pesce e pollo. |