







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Ciao Beatrix, sono io, Cate. |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Non c’è nulla sotto i 3000 ad Angel! |
| He is a Chow Chow. | È un Chow Chow. |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Non voglio proprio vederla di nuovo! |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Ciao Mike, niente di che, come stai? |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Sfortunatamente, è una teenager, ha 19 anni! |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | Sì, il tizio con la barba è Mike. |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Non siamo in quattro caro? |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Ciao cara, come sta andando, ti serve aiuto? |
| I like girls' nights out. | Mi piacciono le serate fuori fra ragazze. |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Perché sono sicura che non servano insetti a Londra! |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hai detto in Russia? Insolito! |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartamento non è una buona idea per Bear, non ha un giardino. |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, stai bene? Mi sembra un po’ aggressiva. |
| No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | No, non sembra pulito, vuoi che lo pulisca io? |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, spiacente, sfortunatamente, quel tavolo è prenotato. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Sì, è normale, a volte soffia anche ai miei calzini nuovi! |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | Um, su questo piano solo io ed una ragazza francese alla porta accanto. |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | La gente porta le posate nella propria stanza e non le riporta indietro! |