







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 | |
|---|---|
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | È l’idraulico, cara, a quanto pare è ostruito. |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Non penso sia febbre da fieno! Credo sia per via del gatto… |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Ciao Beatrix, sono io, Cate. |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | Non devo svegliarmi molto presto. |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Il mio film preferito è Pulp Fiction. |
| 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? |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La stanza è spaziosa e soleggiata e il letto sembra confortevole! |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, sembra che non siano aggressivi l’uno con l’altro. |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Sissignore, potete sedervi a questo tavolo. |
| 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. |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | No, questo è il marchio del negozio, ecco perché non è troppo costoso. |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | Ho un appuntamento con gli affari interni per l’estensione del mio visto. |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Che brutto, hai il raffreddore? |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Ehm... Ne dimostri circa 30? |
| Okay, so do you want me to make 3 serves? | Ok, allora vuoi che faccia 3 porzioni? |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Ciao, mi spiace molto caro, sono un po’ in ritardo. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Naturalmente, il mio nome è Cate e il mio numero è 077… |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Ehi, l’cqua sta bollendo, vuoi che la versi in una pentola? |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Ok, quello grattugiato ha il 20% di sconto oggi. |