







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| 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. |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | Chiederai scusa per aver detto che sono stupido allora? |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Non è più veloce prendere la metro? |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | A volte non riconosce neppure mia mamma. |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Inoltre, penso che dovremmo andarcene tutti presto. |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Non preoccuparti, per te oggi è gratis. |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Sì, costano tutti all’incirca 2 sterline. |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Non penso sia rotta. |
| Hope to see you later. | Spero di rivederti. |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Si, il mio numero è 0773***0282 |
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | Perché noi li conosciamo e abbiamo il loro numero di cellulare? |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Ciao, che razza di cane hai Mike? |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh pronto… Ho dimenticato di dire, è anche un’occasione molto speciale… |
| Do you want me to call them? | Vuoi che li chiami io? |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Non penso, i treni partono ogni 20 minuti circa. |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Amico, mi dispiace davvero! |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Ehm… Già che hai le mani sporche… |
| The rice section is over there. | La sezione riso è laggiù. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Bene, credo che mi piace molto la casa! |