







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Hmm, mi piace pop, rock, funk. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Non lo so, forse un pochino! |
| Isn't that funny? | Non è divertente? |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | Ho un appuntamento con gli affari interni per l’estensione del mio visto. |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Sai, lei normalmente è una persona estremamente tranquille e calma. |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | Credo anch’io, ma ho un mal di testa molto forte! |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Penso che una stanza sia vuota al momento al piano di sopra. |
| There is no table for you, then! | Allora niente tavolo per te! |
| I don't like smoking in the kitchen. | Non mi piace fumare in cucina. |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| Is it really on the menu? | C’è davvero sul menu? |
| I don't want to live in the suburbs! | Non voglio vivere in periferia! |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Ok, a quale temperatura vuoi che lo metta? |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Casa indipendente con 5 camere da letto su Lyme Street, £ 2800, corretto? |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Scusami, devo andare al bagno. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Non importa, credo siano alla stessa distanza. |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Magari possiamo prendere qualcosa mentre andiamo alla stazione. |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Allora, non penso che dobbiamo vedere la prossima! |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Sì, ma il tuo non è così ovvio. |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | No, non è mia, penso appartenga alla casa. |