







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 | |
|---|---|
| As a result, he starts pooping and peeing all over the house. | Come risultato, inizia a fare la cacca e la pipì in tutta la casa. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | La mia moglie adorata mi dice sempre quanto sono buoni i vostri involtini primavera. |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Un po’ estremo, non penso che abbiamo un mortaio e pestello. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Beh, non proprio! Non mi piace molto cucinare. |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | La notte scorsa siamo rimasti aperti fino a tardi, e sai qual è la sua scusa. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Scusa, guarda, ecco qui la stazione. |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Io penso di avere un’idea migliore su cosa possiamo farci con il letto! |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Sei molto realistica cara, dov’è la tua fede nuziale? |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Che tipo di musica ti piace di più? |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Um… Potrebbe essere blu, non mi ricordo proprio. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Ciao, il tuo gatto sta bene? |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Ad ogni modo, ti rimangono solo 10 giorni per lasciare quella casa. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Ciao amico mio, come stai? |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Una combinazione molto interessante. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | Hai ragione, ma non è qui solo per riparare le cose… |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | No, questo è il marchio del negozio, ecco perché non è troppo costoso. |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Devi svegliarti presto domani o cose del genere? |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Erm… Pagano 170 a settimana. |