







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 | |
|---|---|
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Spero che non sia l’indirizzo giusto! Sembra terribile. |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Sembra un mix di inglese e australiano. |
| I'm really sorry about that! | Mi dispiace davvero tanto! |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | È molto difficile parlare con te al telefono in questo momento. |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | Non mi ci vedo su un aereo per tutto quel tempo! |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | C’è uno spremi aglio allora? |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Vuoi che chiami Diego allora? |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Come ho detto, è molto più semplice da aprire con due persone. |
| It's the second one from the top. | È il secondo da sopra. |
| How old are you? | Quanti anni hai? |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Spero non sia un tipo problematico, allora… |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | Ho un appuntamento con gli affari interni per l’estensione del mio visto. |
| My cat is in the garden. | Il mio gatto è in giardino. |
| Do you have another one? | Ne hai un altro? |
| Yes, of course I remember. | Sì, certo che mi ricordo. |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Che c’è? Va tutto bene? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Ma certo! È il mio pub preferito. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Non ne ho idea… Ma spero che abbia una buona scusa! |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Perché non paghiamo 100 di più a testa, e prendiamo una casa a Mayfair? |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Già, mi piace mangiare le lasagne il giorno dopo averle preparate, sono più buone. |