







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 | |
|---|---|
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Ce n'è uno alle 11:00 e quello dopo alle 11:20. |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Sembra essere interessato a te! |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | È come; l'autobus che stai aspettando non arriva mai. |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Puoi rimanere con me, finché non trovi un posto dove vivere. |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok l’ho trovato… Ma sembra sporco! |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Ciao Mike, niente di che, come stai? |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Non ho tempo di cucinare tutti i giorni. |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Naturalmente, oh, c’è una pizza mezza mangiata nel forno. |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Mi scusi signora, ecco una confezione non danneggiata di riso per lei. |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Quanto dovrebbero pagarti? |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bene! Chi vuole lo Chardonnay allora? |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Non so, massimo 33? |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Sì, è a Piccadilly Circus, proprio in centro. |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | Qual è il motivo della cancellazione questa volta? |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Stasera siamo usciti per Laura. |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Sì, sembra più logico in questo caso. |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ah, mi spiace molto, ma stasera siamo al completo! |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Casa indipendente con 5 camere da letto su Lyme Street, £ 2800, corretto? |