







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. |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Questo ti aiuta a credermi? |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | Inoltre, ci lavora uno dei miei amici. |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | I miei padroni di casa sono una coppia gay. |
| 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. |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Non c’è rimasto molto da fare, solo qualcosina. |
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | No, lei studia all’università in Russia. |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Non sono davvero dell'umore giusto per unirmi a loro. |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | E per quanto difficile da credere, è pulito. |
| He is fine. | Sta bene. |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Mi spiace molto, che tipo di malattia è? |
| Thank you very much! | Grazie mille! |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oddio, mi sento così stanca ora. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Sì, ho due sorelle. |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Ma è vero, alcuni Chow sono un po’ aggressivi. |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Mi scusi signora, ecco una confezione non danneggiata di riso per lei. |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| Okay, that's fine. | Ok va bene. |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Mi piacciono le serate fuori fra ragazze. |