







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 | |
|---|---|
| I hope your friends don't mind. | Spero che alle tue amiche non dispiaccia. |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Anche Bear odia andare dal veterinario. |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | Quindi, presumo tu venga dall’Australia. |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | Sono dunque £ 5 di più della stanza più grande! |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo però odia ancora venire dal veterinario! |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Quindi, è ovvio che non hai idea di quanto costi affittare una casa. |
| Why is that? | Perché? |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Salve, sei tu Cate? |
| Is that right? | È giusto? |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | E a piano terra abbiamo un accesso migliore al giardino. |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| His name's Sergio. | Si chiama Sergio. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | La mia moglie adorata mi dice sempre quanto sono buoni i vostri involtini primavera. |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Pronto, Cate? |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | No, scoliamo la pasta con una grattugia. |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Voglio dire, non vivi qui con qualcuno della tua famiglia. |
| How long does it usually take? | Quanto ci vuole di solito? |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Erm… Pagano 170 a settimana. |