







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | No, non va bene, adesso sono fregato! |
| What's the time, are we early? | Che ore sono, siamo in anticipo? |
| Are they older or younger? | Sono più grandi o più piccole? |
| Why? What's wrong? | Perché, che c'è che non va? |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Non è carino, Mike! |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Credo di sì, così può dare un’occhiata in giro mentre Bear non c’è. |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Dice consumarsi preferibilmente entro il 25 febbraio. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Ad ogni modo, cos’altro c’è rimasto da fare adesso? |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Spero che non sia l’indirizzo giusto! Sembra terribile. |
| Anyway, do you live around here, too? | Ad ogni modo, anche tu vivi qui vicino? |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Non mi piace la violenza nella vita vera, mi piace solo nei film. |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Perché non voglio sprecare altro tempo a trovare una casa nuova… |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Andiamo, non piangere, è solo una stupida ragazza! |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Sono d’accordo, i voli lunghi non sono molto piacevoli. |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, è un continente! |
| I mostly work till late at night, I never wake up at 7 in the morning. | Io lavoro per lo più fino a tardi la sera, non mi sveglio mai alle sette di mattina. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia grave. |
| 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! |
| I usually take the train. | Di solito prendo il treno. |