







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 | |
|---|---|
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Inoltre, penso che dovremmo andarcene tutti presto. |
| He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | Si è appena trasferito da Brighton e vive qui vicino. |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | No non cucino cose sofisticate, solo piatti normali. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Sì, credo che uccidere le zanzare vada bene. |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Ma penso valga solo per le donne più anziane. |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | Voglio che controlli i termosifoni nelle stanze già che è qui! |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Uova e bacon con un po’ di olive mi bastano. |
| I need to wake him up now! | Devo andare a svegliarlo! |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Va bene, sono quasi pronta. |
| It's about a web project. | Si tratta di un progetto web. |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Penso che *la mano prende fuoco* sia una battuta! |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Sì, ma la stanza è quadrata e ci sono solo quattro oggetti principali dentro. |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Si sono io, come stai? |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Dice consumarsi preferibilmente entro il 25 febbraio. |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | Pesano tutto quanto alla cassa. |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Sì, è meglio non riempire completamente la vasca, perde verso il piano di sotto. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ho una sorella che ha 19 anni. |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Sì, sta assolutamente bene dopo aver riposato per un po'. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |