







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? |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ehm, a proposito, dato che siamo sull’argomento… |
| 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… |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | È come; l'autobus che stai aspettando non arriva mai. |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Non sono stata là prima, dov’è? |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | Fammi vedere… Sì, c’è qualche piatto. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia grave. |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Non mi piace la violenza nella vita vera, mi piace solo nei film. |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Non mi aspettavo succedesse una cosa del genere, quindi non ho un piano. |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, incredibile, è tua? |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Non si usa la roba degli altri senza chiedere! |
| And the buses always arrive on time. | E gli autobus arrivano sempre in orario. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Sì, credo che uccidere le zanzare vada bene. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Sì, devo essere là alle 12:30. |
| You look much younger than that. | Sembri molto più giovane. |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Come osa… È così stupido!!! |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Quello in fondo sembra più fresco. |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Già, penso che la primavera sia il periodo peggiore per l’allergia! |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Gli chiederò di portare fuori Bear, così noi possiamo fare colazione. |