







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 | |
|---|---|
| In the recipe it says 600g. | La ricetta dice 600 g. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Vuoi che lavi la bottiglia di vino prima di versarlo? |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Sei l’unico fumatore in casa? |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Dov’è il mio f*ttuto deca? |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Ma dobbiamo fare in fretta, non ho molto tempo. |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Cosa ne dice di quel tavolo? Sembra meglio. |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mio marito ed io lo apprezziamo molto. |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | Non mi ci vedo su un aereo per tutto quel tempo! |
| You are absolutely right! | Hai assolutamente ragione! |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | Ho bisogno di usare il brodo di pollo per il risotto! |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | Il mio papà è inglese e mia mamma è australiana. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| What's the date today? | Che giorno è oggi? |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Ehi, c’è uno sconosciuto in bagno, chi è? |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Va bene, sono quasi pronta. |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | E a volte non tornano a casa per giorni. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Ok, eccoci qui, questa è Honeybrook Street. |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ehm… So che russo occasionalmente, russo tutti i giorni? |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hmmm... Domani è Un giorno di ferie bancaria. |