







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 | |
|---|---|
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| No, I don't have one! | No, non ce l’ho! |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | È l’idraulico, cara, a quanto pare è ostruito. |
| Do you want me to get you a glass of wine? | Vuoi che ti prenda un bicchiere di vino? |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | No, ho una brutta allergia. |
| I usually take the train. | Di solito prendo il treno. |
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Vuole farlo, ma stasera non è possibile. |
| Do you have another one? | Ne hai un altro? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Il gatto in realtà non è mio, è il gatto della mia ragazza. |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Siamo tornati, dov’è Bear? |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Ma magari si stanno separando, non lo so ancora. |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hai fratelli o sorelle? |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Ciao, mi spiace molto caro, sono un po’ in ritardo. |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Mi dispiace, a volte non sono bravo a ricordarmi i nomi! |
| I prefer red onions. | Preferisco le cipolle rosse. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Sono davvero strabiliata dalla struttura di questa stazione. |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Ciao cara, come sta andando, ti serve aiuto? |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | Spero che alle tue amiche non dispiaccia. |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Una combinazione molto interessante. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |