







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Vai spesso al Windmill? |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Perché sono sicura che non servano insetti a Londra! |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Mi dispiace ragazzi, non si tratta sull’affitto! |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Pronto, Cate? |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quale appuntamento? Vuoi dire la casa ad Angel? |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| But for how many people? | Ma per quante persone? |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hai guardato con attenzione, non abbiamo davvero nulla? |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | Ho cercato: Pinocchio sa di non essere un bambino vero. |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Non voglio parlare di questo problema in questa casa. |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | Ma… Non sono brava a mentire… |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Aspetta, c’è un altro sito web che dice… |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Bene, credo che mi piace molto la casa! |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | No, mi fa venire il mal di testa! |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | Non c’è di che, ecco il menu, signora. |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Grazie, ci vediamo là sabato alle 13:00. |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-da eccola qui… |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | E secondariamente, i veterinari sono così cari! |