







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hey, before you go... | Ehi, prima che vai… |
| How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
| I prefer red onions. | Preferisco le cipolle rosse. |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Non mi sembri un insegnante di inglese. |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Sembra un'ottimo affare. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Sì, voglio vedere il bagno… |
| How old do I look? | Quanti anni dimostro? |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Scusa, guarda, ecco qui la stazione. |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Come ho detto, è molto più semplice da aprire con due persone. |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | Ho cercato: Pinocchio sa di non essere un bambino vero. |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Non capisco perché la chiamano ferie bancaria. |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Grazie, ma non posso rimanere. |
| There is a little market near the school. | C’è un piccolo alimentari dietro la scuola. |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Guarda, lì c’è un commesso. |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Scusa, non servono le patatine qui… |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | Non ti credo! Qual è la differenza oggi? |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | C’è un po’ di pane per i toast? |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Ehi, cos’è successo? Va tutto bene? |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Sì, mi piacciono anche loro. |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | Ok, allora voglio qualcosa di simile! |