







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 | |
|---|---|
| There is a little market near the school. | C’è un piccolo alimentari dietro la scuola. |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Come vanno le cose, tutto bene? |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Ma a volte mi sento in colpa a non essere là! |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | O peggio, a volte fanno una festa a casa! |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Ecco a lei signore, il suo scontrino e il suo cashback da £ 20. |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Hai dei parenti a Londra? |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Non so, probabilmente la metterei nel cestino. |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Sì, è molto importante per me, in realtà. |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mio Dio! È quasi mezzogiorno in punto. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Mi fa piacere sentirlo. |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Conosci il pub dietro l'angolo? |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Ok, quello grattugiato ha il 20% di sconto oggi. |
| Is she here with you? | Lei è qui con te? |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un mazzetto è abbastanza per te? |
| What kind of trick is that? | Che tipo di trucco? |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Grazie al cielo non c'è nulla di cui preoccuparsi. |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh sì, è la nostra serata fuori fra ragazze stasera. |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Ciao, che razza di cane hai Mike? |