







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 | |
|---|---|
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Ma è vero, alcuni Chow sono un po’ aggressivi. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Non penso che voglia parlare o risolvere niente! |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Bello… Spero non sia una teenager! Quanti anni ha? |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | È uno dei miei migliori amici, sfortunatamente. |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Sono le 4 e mezza, quindi siamo giusto in tempo. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Ma ogni tanto soffia, è normale? |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Sì va bene stiamo per andarcene. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Il gatto di chi?… Vuol dire il mio gatto? |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Non voglio più restare in questa casa! |
| I'm unleashing him now, is that okay for you? | Ora lo libero, va bene per te? |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | Indosso alcuni, posso controllare quando torno? |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Ciao Mike, niente di che, come stai? |
| 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. |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | Marvine Gaye, anni 60, ma questo è il remix. |
| What else do we need? | Cos’altro ci serve? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | E dobbiamo pesare tutto quanto noi, eccetera. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Ciao amico mio, come stai? |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Erm… Sì… Certo! È il nostro primo anniversario! |
| He wouldn't run away, he just wants to check what's outside. | Non scapperebbe via, vuole soltanto dare un’occhiata a cosa c’è fuori. |