







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Prima vuoi che metta il pollo nella pentola a pressione? |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| He is a Chow Chow. | È un Chow Chow. |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Magari possiamo prendere qualcosa mentre andiamo alla stazione. |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Salve, sei tu Cate? |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Non lo so, forse un pochino! |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | È tutta colpa tua! Mi sento così in imbarazzo ora… |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, è un continente! |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Ciao, mi spiace molto caro, sono un po’ in ritardo. |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Con i fornelli a gas qualcuno può lasciare il gas acceso, è troppo pericoloso! |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Puoi mostrarmi quali vestiti devo mettere via, allora? |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | La mia moglie adorata mi dice sempre quanto sono buoni i vostri involtini primavera. |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Non raccogli mai la cacca di Bear dal marciapiede. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Sì, sono qui che aspetto la buona notizia. |
| Do we have a sieve? | Abbiamo un colino? |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Perché pensi che sia strano? |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | No, ma è quello che mi va di mangiare… |