







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh, c*zzo, che razza di rubinetto è questo? |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Baci anche a te, ti chiamerò quando arrivo! |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Il tuo cane è un Chow Chow? |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | È possibile non riuscire a trovare biglietti di ritorno? |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | Oh, scusa, non sapevo che non mi era permesso ordinare quello che voglio! |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | Tutto quanto è come descritto nell’annuncio. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Sono davvero strabiliata dalla struttura di questa stazione. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Mi piacciono le serate fuori fra ragazze. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Sì, ho due sorelle. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | La prima è lavare i piatti o pulire? |
| What genre do you listen to? | Che genere ascolti? |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Gli chiederò di portare fuori Bear, così noi possiamo fare colazione. |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Non preoccuparti Mike, penso che questo sia meglio. |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Ok, quanto sale vuoi che ci metta? |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Umm… Noi siamo sposati… Voglio dire, oggi è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| Is it a single or a double room? | È una stanza singola o doppia? |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | È molto difficile per me andare là più di una volta all’anno. |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Facciamo i conti, io pago 135 a settimana per una persona… |