







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 have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ho una sorella che ha 19 anni. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Questo è il mio ragazzo, Mike. |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | Esatto, non dovremmo mai dimenticare quanto siano irresponsabili i miei coinquilini. |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | Chiederai scusa per aver detto che sono stupido allora? |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Mangiare gli avanzi durante la settimana mi fa risparmiare un po’ di tempo. |
| I'm really sorry about that! | Mi dispiace davvero tanto! |
| Is your father sick? | Tuo padre è malato? |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Mi dispiace ragazzi, non si tratta sull’affitto! |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | No, non so cosa c’è di tuo nel frigo. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Mi piacciono le serate fuori fra ragazze. |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | Indosso alcuni, posso controllare quando torno? |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Ciao, il tuo gatto sta bene? |
| It sounds important. | Sembra importante. |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Grazie, sì, come ho detto, Camden è in zona 2… |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Lei è mezza giapponese, mezza australiana. |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Penso che Diego ed io siamo gli unici fumatori in casa. |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Inoltre, penso che dovremmo andarcene tutti presto. |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Sì, è nata in Australia, ma sua madre è giapponese. |