







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 | |
|---|---|
| How old do I look? | Quanti anni dimostro? |
| Okay, we have all the things we need, then. | Ok abbiamo tutto quello che ci serve allora. |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | Non è chissà cosa ma è una cosa piuttosto importante da menzionare. |
| No, what is that? | No, che cosa? |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Questo ti aiuta a credermi? |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Ehm... Ne dimostri circa 30? |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Giusto, penso di sapere chi è… |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | No, in realtà è addestrato molto bene a fare i bisogni. |
| Is she here with you? | Lei è qui con te? |
| That's very interesting! | Molto interessante! |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | Ehm, era la manager del marketing dell’azienda. |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Qualcun altro vuole qualcosa da bere? |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Non voglio proprio vederla di nuovo! |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Come sta tua mamma, lei ha qualche problema di salute? |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| Do we have a sieve? | Abbiamo un colino? |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | In questi giorni vado molto spesso in quel pub. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Di sopra, c’è Diego e una coppia inglese vicino a lui. |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | È più che abbastanza, ho bisogno anche di un po’ d’aglio. |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Ok, quanto sale vuoi che ci metta? |