







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 | |
|---|---|
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Sembri un po’ triste, stai bene? |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | E sembra avere circa 3 anni ora. |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, scusa! A te non piace pulire le cose, posso farlo io. |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Come sta tua mamma, lei ha qualche problema di salute? |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Vuoi che faccia a fette qualche fungo per te? |
| Is it really on the menu? | C’è davvero sul menu? |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | Ho ancora due lezioni, finisco alle tre e trenta. |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | Ecco perché non mi fido mai delle persone tranquille… |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Ehi, l’cqua sta bollendo, vuoi che la versi in una pentola? |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | E ci rimangono un sacco di funghi da usare. |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Beh, invece del pollo puoi provare l’anatra, è gustosa! |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Beh, non credo che dobbiamo cuocere troppe cose contemporaneamente. |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | È possibile trasferirsi domani? |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Allora, non penso che dobbiamo vedere la prossima! |
| I prefer red onions. | Preferisco le cipolle rosse. |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hai fratelli o sorelle? |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Ragazzi, questo è Diego. |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | Sembra che non ci sia nessuno in casa! |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Ciao ragazze, questo è Mike. |