







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 can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | So cucinare, naturalmente, ma solo quando mi va. |
| 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. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Non penso che voglia parlare o risolvere niente! |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Sono davvero strabiliata dalla struttura di questa stazione. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Hai una sigaretta? |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Grazie al cielo non c'è nulla di cui preoccuparsi. |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Scusa, non servono le patatine qui… |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Ehi, l’cqua sta bollendo, vuoi che la versi in una pentola? |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | In questi giorni vado molto spesso in quel pub. |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Poi c’è un po’ di formaggio ma ha un po’ di muffa. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Mi piace qualche canzone di Jamiroquai, ma non tutte. |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | Quindi sarebbero 2800 al mese! |
| What line is it on? | Su quale line si trova? |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Entrate, qui c’è il pianterreno, abbiamo due camere da letto… |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Beh, non proprio! Non mi piace molto cucinare. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salve ragazzi, è possibile fare un po’ meno rumore? |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Sì, credo che uccidere le zanzare vada bene. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison’s non è più vicino? |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | È possibile trasferirsi domani? |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Ti piace anche andare in treno? |