







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 | |
|---|---|
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Magari preferiscono i fornelli elettrici nelle case condivise per motivi di sicurezza. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Sì, credo che uccidere le zanzare vada bene. |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Che brutto, hai il raffreddore? |
| Do you have another one? | Ne hai un altro? |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Le regole per la dogana sono molto rigide in Australia. |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Voglio dire, cucini asiatico o altri tipi di cucina? |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Ehi, c’è uno sconosciuto in bagno, chi è? |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | Grazie per avermi avvertito adesso, molto utile! |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalmente le ragazze controllano la lista dei vini per mezz’ora prima di ordinare. |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| 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? |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Mi piacciono i ristoranti di frutti di mare là. |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | Sì, non è normale ma è quello che dice nella ricetta. |
| Yeah, I guess normally you go to work around 06:30. | Già, normalmente mi sembra vai al lavoro attorno alle 6:30. |
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | È perché gli altri inquilini non vogliono animali? |
| I see, I love cooking! | Capisco, io adoro cucinare! |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ah, mi spiace molto, ma stasera siamo al completo! |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| My cat is in the garden. | Il mio gatto è in giardino. |