







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| Yeah, I guess normally you go to work around 06:30. | Già, normalmente mi sembra vai al lavoro attorno alle 6:30. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Ok, eccoci qui, questa è Honeybrook Street. |
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | Vuoi dire Rebecca e Cecilia? |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Davvero? Sade è anche uno dei miei preferiti. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Sì, voglio vedere il bagno… |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Non mi aspettavo succedesse una cosa del genere, quindi non ho un piano. |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Come sta tua mamma, lei ha qualche problema di salute? |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Grazie padre, dov’è il guinzaglio di Bear? |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | No, non so cosa c’è di tuo nel frigo. |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | Ma… Non sono brava a mentire… |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | Erm, scusi, penso che abbia sbagliato Mike… |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Non mi piace la violenza nella vita vera, mi piace solo nei film. |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Ad ogni modo, la mia lezione sta per iniziare, devo andare. |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Guarda, lì c’è un commesso. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | Sì, non è normale ma è quello che dice nella ricetta. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Mi fa piacere sentirlo. |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Cosa ne pensi di lui Cate? |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Benvenuti al Diamond Duck, ha una prenotazione, signore? |