







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | Bello, gli armadietti sembrano apposto, la panca è ok… |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia un grosso problema per lui. |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | C'è qualcos'altro che posso fare per te, amore? |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Vuole anche aumentare il nostro affitto del 50%! |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Anche i tuoi genitori vivono a Londra? |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Non posso chiamarlo al momento perché il suo telefono è irraggiungibile. |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Il mio film preferito è Pulp Fiction. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | Erm, scusi, penso che abbia sbagliato Mike… |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | Credo anch’io, ma ho un mal di testa molto forte! |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | Ma Bear ha la displasia ad un’anca. |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hmm, credo sia un po’ vecchio, ma è ancora il mio preferito. |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Non ho detto che è colpa tua, ma ora è il tuo turno… |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Scusa, mi sono dimenticato di dirtelo, devi aprire il rubinetto molto delicatamente. |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Esattamente, una chiede 3500, l’altra 3000… |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | E secondariamente, i veterinari sono così cari! |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Sì, è nata in Australia, ma sua madre è giapponese. |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | No, no, non c’è nulla di sbagliato, non devi preoccuparti, va tutto bene… |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, sembra che non siano aggressivi l’uno con l’altro. |