







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why is that? | Perché? |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | Suppongo che il tempo per te non passi mai quando sono via. |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Sì, e il mercato è bello, Camden Lock è in zona 2 o 3? |
| That's where Diego works, too! | È anche dove lavora Diego! |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Non voglio che tu spenda una fortuna. |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Non si usa la roba degli altri senza chiedere! |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Sfortunatamente, non ne ho una! Dov’è la tua? |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La ricetta non viene da Internet, è di un libro di Jaimie Oliver. |
| I feel hungry, too. | Anch'io ho fame. |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | No, in realtà è addestrato molto bene a fare i bisogni. |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Ciao, che razza di cane hai Mike? |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Ti piacciono con o senza pelle? |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Che tipo di musica ti piace di più? |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | Vero! Quant’è il tuo affitto? |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | Sono singoli, quelli piccoli costano 30p, grandi 50p. |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Come ho detto, è molto più semplice da aprire con due persone. |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Benvenuti al Diamond Duck, ha una prenotazione, signore? |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Bene, credo che mi piace molto la casa! |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, scusa! A te non piace pulire le cose, posso farlo io. |
| I see, I love cooking! | Capisco, io adoro cucinare! |