







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | No, è il proprietario, è una vecchia signora molto rigida su questo. |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | E sembra avere circa 3 anni ora. |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Sì, è nata in Australia, ma sua madre è giapponese. |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Non lo so davvero, ma credo sia più vecchia di 100 anni. |
| It sounds important. | Sembra importante. |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | Credo che ordinerò l’anatra, è deliziosa. |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Grazie padre, dov’è il guinzaglio di Bear? |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | Il mio papà è inglese e mia mamma è australiana. |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Hanno anche tre grosse finestre nella loro stanza! |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Vuole anche aumentare il nostro affitto del 50%! |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | No, in realtà è addestrato molto bene a fare i bisogni. |
| Is that right? | È giusto? |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Hai dei parenti a Londra? |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | In questi giorni mi piacciono i remix anni 60 e 70. |
| 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! |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Di sopra, c’è Diego e una coppia inglese vicino a lui. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Sì, mi piacciono anche loro. |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Ehm... Non è lì? |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Non voglio parlare di questo problema in questa casa. |