







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 | |
|---|---|
| What line is it on? | Su quale line si trova? |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Um, oggi mi va di mangiare soltanto pesce. |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Sì, è a Piccadilly Circus, proprio in centro. |
| Yes, that's the one. | Sì, proprio quello. |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Deve passare 1 anno per superare la data di scadenza. |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | Mi piacerebbe… Ma ho anche altre cose da fare… |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Aspetta un minuto, sono entrambe da 300 g e della stessa marca. |
| It's too fruity. | È troppo fruttato. |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Allora, non penso che dobbiamo vedere la prossima! |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | C’è un po’ di pane per i toast? |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | Decisamente costa molto, ma non è il solo problema. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | C’è qualcos’altro che vuoi che faccia? |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Ecco perché l’affitto è molto più basso della media. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Ciao, scusa se sono un po’ in ritardo. |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Andiamo Mike, non si tratta di quando io sono a casa. |
| You are absolutely right! | Hai assolutamente ragione! |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 gradi è il massimo! |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Grazie, ne ho 26. |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Va più veloce, ma non vogliamo camminare fino alla stazione della metro. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Mi piace qualche canzone di Jamiroquai, ma non tutte. |