







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 | |
|---|---|
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hai detto in Russia? Insolito! |
| Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | Hm, fanno circa £ 150 a settimana, più o meno lo stesso. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Sì, è una buona idea! |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | È come se ci fosse il male nascosto dentro di loro! |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Non raccogli mai la cacca di Bear dal marciapiede. |
| But I don't know him well. | Ma non lo conosco bene. |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | A proposito, mi piace il colore delle pareti… Cosa ne pensi? |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Ehm… Già che hai le mani sporche… |
| 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? |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | Bello, gli armadietti sembrano apposto, la panca è ok… |
| It's about a web project. | Si tratta di un progetto web. |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | Non è prendere in prestito, è rubare! |
| You are very funny mate. | Sei molto divertente amico. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | È una specie di festa di benvenuto per lei. |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Congratulazioni… Ma Pogo è il nome di un animale domestico? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Il gatto in realtà non è mio, è il gatto della mia ragazza. |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Mangiare gli avanzi durante la settimana mi fa risparmiare un po’ di tempo. |
| When I have free time. | Quando ho del tempo libero. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ho una sorella che ha 19 anni. |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Hmm, mi piace pop, rock, funk. |