







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 don't like their chardonnay. | Non mi piace il loro Chardonnay. |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Qualcun altro vuole qualcosa da bere? |
| Are you close friends? | Siete buoni amici? |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Ciao ragazze, questo è Mike. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Sì, è normale, a volte soffia anche ai miei calzini nuovi! |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Baci anche a te, ti chiamerò quando arrivo! |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Beh, non credo che dobbiamo cuocere troppe cose contemporaneamente. |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | Non ti credo! Qual è la differenza oggi? |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | C'è qualcos'altro che posso fare per te, amore? |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Già, la nostra stanza ha solo una finestra! |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Per il risotto ho bisogno di un po’ di riso arborio. |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Ehilà, sei pronta? |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo però odia ancora venire dal veterinario! |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | Oh guarda questo ragazzone, diventa più grande ogni volta che lo vedo! |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un mazzetto è abbastanza per te? |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Questo è il mio ragazzo, Mike. |
| He is fine. | Sta bene. |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Voglio dire, non vivi qui con qualcuno della tua famiglia. |
| How much rice do you need? | Di quanto riso hai bisogno? |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | A volte esco con le ragazze della scuola. |