







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 | |
|---|---|
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Sono un po' stanca e ho molta fame. |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | Anch’io ne ho trovate 2, non ci sono molte opzioni a Camden Lock. |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Mi dispiace dire che non sono ammessi animali domestici in casa! |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Sì, lei ritorna, ma non è quello che faccio sempre? |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ehm… So che russo occasionalmente, russo tutti i giorni? |
| You are very funny mate. | Sei molto divertente amico. |
| What line is it on? | Su quale line si trova? |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Va più veloce, ma non vogliamo camminare fino alla stazione della metro. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Sì, ce l’ho! |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Sì, vuoi dire con i velocipedi? |
| But I don't know him well. | Ma non lo conosco bene. |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Grazie, sì, come ho detto, Camden è in zona 2… |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Umm, oh sì, ora lo vedo, il numero dell’annuncio è 9845… |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Mi dispiace, a volte non sono bravo a ricordarmi i nomi! |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, incredibile, è tua? |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | È sulla linea Northern, la stessa che usiamo qui. |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | Hai ragione, ma non è qui solo per riparare le cose… |
| Yes, of course I remember. | Sì, certo che mi ricordo. |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Non penso sia febbre da fieno! Credo sia per via del gatto… |