







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 are you? | Quanti anni hai? |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Sono le 4 e mezza, quindi siamo giusto in tempo. |
| Do you know her well? | La conosci bene? |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Andiamo, non piangere, è solo una stupida ragazza! |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Mangiare gli avanzi durante la settimana mi fa risparmiare un po’ di tempo. |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ehm… So che russo occasionalmente, russo tutti i giorni? |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La stanza è spaziosa e soleggiata e il letto sembra confortevole! |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| How is your cat? | Come sta il tuo gatto? |
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Vuole farlo, ma stasera non è possibile. |
| Also, he has got a very lovely, cute dog. | Inoltre ha un cane davvero adorabile. |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | Huh, Sono un sacco di soldi! |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Ciao cara, come sta andando, ti serve aiuto? |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalmente le ragazze controllano la lista dei vini per mezz’ora prima di ordinare. |
| Okay, that's fine. | Ok va bene. |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Vuoi che faccia a fette qualche fungo per te? |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Hanno anche tre grosse finestre nella loro stanza! |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Sì, devo essere là alle 12:30. |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Mi dispiace, a volte non sono bravo a ricordarmi i nomi! |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Quindi Pogo va molto d’accordo con i cani. |