







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 | |
|---|---|
| You are absolutely right! | Hai assolutamente ragione! |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | No, io sono un agente immobiliare. |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Non penso sia normale, tu pensi sia normale? |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Non mi sembri un insegnante di inglese. |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Certo, la nostra cucina è stata rinnovata di recente… |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, è un continente! |
| He is the bartender. | È il barista. |
| I hope it’s not serious. | Spero non sia niente di serio. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Ciao amico mio, come stai? |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Non siamo in quattro caro? |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Non pensi che due forchette siano abbastanza per noi? |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Qual è il tuo budget mensile massimo per l’affitto? |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | È sulla linea Northern, la stessa che usiamo qui. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Nemmeno a me piacciono gli ospedali. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh davvero? Non va bene. |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Non ho detto che è colpa tua, ma ora è il tuo turno… |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | Potresti per favore non dimenticarti di portare con te qualche borsa per la cacca! |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | E per quanto difficile da credere, è pulito. |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | L’ho fatto? Non so… Che cosa? |