







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 | |
|---|---|
| What does Diego do? | Che cosa fa Diego? |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Chi c**zo è, che ore sono? |
| Her name is Ayumi! | Si chiama Ayumi! |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Certo, la nostra cucina è stata rinnovata di recente… |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | A proposito, il deposito è £ 3000 e non trattabile… |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | Naturalmente, lei è un angelo, vuoi parlare con la tua mamma? |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Erm… Pagano 170 a settimana. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia un grosso problema per lui. |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | Il ragazzino pensa di essere un robot o il robot pensa di essere un ragazzino? |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Non ho tempo di cucinare tutti i giorni. |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Scusami, devo andare al bagno. |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Ehilà, sei pronta? |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | So cucinare, naturalmente, ma solo quando mi va. |
| I'm an English teacher. | Sono un'insegnante di inglese. |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Magari conosco il tuo amico. |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo però odia ancora venire dal veterinario! |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Perché pensi che sia strano? |
| It's too fruity. | È troppo fruttato. |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh sì, è la nostra serata fuori fra ragazze stasera. |