







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 | |
|---|---|
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Uova e bacon con un po’ di olive mi bastano. |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Grazie ancora per avermi ceduto il posto. |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Erm… Pagano 170 a settimana. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Bene, credo che mi piace molto la casa! |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Sì, ma il tuo non è così ovvio. |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hmmm... Domani è Un giorno di ferie bancaria. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia grave. |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | Perché? Mi sembra piuttosto pulito! |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh, c*zzo, che razza di rubinetto è questo? |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Sono d’accordo, i voli lunghi non sono molto piacevoli. |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Sì va bene stiamo per andarcene. |
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | Sì l’ho fatto, perché, non è normale? |
| I mostly work till late at night, I never wake up at 7 in the morning. | Io lavoro per lo più fino a tardi la sera, non mi sveglio mai alle sette di mattina. |
| Until you just light your cigarette. | Fino a quando non ti accendi una sigaretta. |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Sì, ci sono anche dei coltelli. |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | Sì, è già qui aperta… |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Mi piacciono i ristoranti di frutti di mare là. |
| Is it really on the menu? | C’è davvero sul menu? |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | Possiamo vederci là alle 20:30, o è troppo tardi? |