







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 | |
|---|---|
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Andiamo Mike, non si tratta di quando io sono a casa. |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, vuoi che ti prenda qualcosa da mangiare? |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Già, mi piace mangiare le lasagne il giorno dopo averle preparate, sono più buone. |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | Ma voglio vedere il molo di Brighton prima che cali il sole. |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Ehi, cos’è successo? Va tutto bene? |
| I prefer red onions. | Preferisco le cipolle rosse. |
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | Perché me lo hai chiesto, vuoi che lo faccia bollire? |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Sì, vuoi dire con i velocipedi? |
| Anyway, do you live around here, too? | Ad ogni modo, anche tu vivi qui vicino? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | E dobbiamo pesare tutto quanto noi, eccetera. |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | Non preoccuparti Mike, come ho detto, lo fa solo quando è stressato. |
| Isn't that funny? | Non è divertente? |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hai detto in Russia? Insolito! |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Le regole per la dogana sono molto rigide in Australia. |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Se stai per chiedermi dei soldi, non ne ho neppure io. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Sì, voglio vedere il bagno… |
| How old do I look? | Quanti anni dimostro? |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 gradi è il massimo! |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | Sì, il tizio con la barba è Mike. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Perché non hai risposto al telefono? |