







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 | |
|---|---|
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Lei è mezza giapponese, mezza australiana. |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Devi svegliarti presto domani o cose del genere? |
| As a result, he starts pooping and peeing all over the house. | Come risultato, inizia a fare la cacca e la pipì in tutta la casa. |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | È rimasto solo sabato prima di dover traslocare domenica. |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear va d’accordo con i gatti ma decisamente non con i cani. |
| 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. |
| Absolutely not, while you are working you smoke like a chimney. | Assolutamente no, mentre lavori fumi come una ciminiera. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oddio, mi sento così stanca ora. |
| Thank you very much! | Grazie mille! |
| 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? |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Quindi decisamente non si tratta di divorzio. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Perché non hai risposto al telefono? |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | Va bene, non è un problema. |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Ti piacciono le cipolle rosse o bianche? |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Penso che Diego ed io siamo gli unici fumatori in casa. |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Vuoi scommetterci? |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Quanto paghi tu per la tua stanza? |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Si, Bear mangia un gatto in mezzo ogni giorno per colazione. |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Aspetta un minuto, sono entrambe da 300 g e della stessa marca. |