







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 | |
|---|---|
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Quindi Pogo va molto d’accordo con i cani. |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Magari possiamo prendere qualcosa mentre andiamo alla stazione. |
| That's where Diego works, too! | È anche dove lavora Diego! |
| What's your favourite movie? | Qual è il tuo film preferito? |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Come dicono il tempo è la miglior medicina. |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Nemmeno a me piacciono gli ospedali. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Sì, credo che uccidere le zanzare vada bene. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Non penso che tu voglia più che io rimanga qui! |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | Grazie per avermi avvertito adesso, molto utile! |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | C’è un robot nel corpo di un ragazzino, ma lui non sa di essere un robot. |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Hai ragione, c’è qualcosa che vuoi che compri sulla strada? |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bene, spero che non continuerà a fare la cacca in tutta la casa! |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Dov’è il mio f*ttuto deca? |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | No non sto mentendo! Non mento mai. |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | Non mi ci vedo su un aereo per tutto quel tempo! |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | Ma voglio vedere il molo di Brighton prima che cali il sole. |
| How do you want me to chop the onions, big or small? | Come vuoi farmi sminuzzare le cipolle, grandi o piccole? |