







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 can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | So cucinare, naturalmente, ma solo quando mi va. |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | Non c’è di che, ecco il menu, signora. |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| You are lucky! | Che fortuna! |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Il mio film preferito è Pulp Fiction. |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Deve passare 1 anno per superare la data di scadenza. |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, il gatto della tua ragazza… Lei vive qui con te? |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | C’è qualcos’altro che vuoi che faccia? |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Non so, massimo 33? |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Sì, mi piacciono anche loro. |
| Is she here with you? | Lei è qui con te? |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Ci vogliono solo 15 o 20 minuti. |
| I think we need to put some of your clothes away. | Credo che dobbiamo mettere via alcuni dei tuoi vestiti. |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | Non preoccuparti, non lo facciamo tutti i giorni. |
| It's always the same. | È sempre la solita storia. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | No, ho una brutta allergia. |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | In realtà, è molto urgente per me. |