







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 | |
|---|---|
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartamento non è una buona idea per Bear, non ha un giardino. |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Non pensi che due forchette siano abbastanza per noi? |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Non lo so, forse un pochino! |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, è un continente! |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | E a volte non tornano a casa per giorni. |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | È molto difficile parlare con te al telefono in questo momento. |
| You are lucky! | Che fortuna! |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Chi c**zo è, che ore sono? |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Sai, di solito ho le lezioni la mattina presto. |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Non c’è rimasto molto da fare, solo qualcosina. |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| Okay, so do you want me to make 3 serves? | Ok, allora vuoi che faccia 3 porzioni? |
| Hope to see you later. | Spero di rivederti. |
| Do we have a sieve? | Abbiamo un colino? |
| Dear, who is it? | Caro, chi è? |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Che piani hai Cate? |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Ciao cara, come sta andando, ti serve aiuto? |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | Spero che alle tue amiche non dispiaccia. |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | Scusa se te lo chiedo, ma hai le tue cose o roba del genere? |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Ok, magari è meglio se ti riposi un po’. |