







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Sì, continuo a non farlo. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Non penso che voglia parlare o risolvere niente! |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hai fratelli o sorelle? |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Chiamiamolo sesto senso! |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Beh, invece del pollo puoi provare l’anatra, è gustosa! |
| How many people live in this house? | Quante persone vivono in questa casa? |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Non ho idea di cosa sia il riso arborio! |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Non riesco a crederci che non ci arrivi! |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Ma Tesco è più grande, c’è più varietà di prodotti. |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| There is no table for you, then! | Allora niente tavolo per te! |
| I hope they are going to be here on time, too... I don't like waiting. | Spero che anche loro siano qui in tempo… Non mi piace aspettare. |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Naturalmente, ecco qui, questo è il bagno. |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | Suppongo che la mia unica scelta sia venire a casa tua! |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Sono d’accordo, i voli lunghi non sono molto piacevoli. |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quanto aglio vuoi? |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Vuoi che le dica che sei qui? |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Vai spesso al Windmill? |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Naturalmente, il mio nome è Cate e il mio numero è 077… |