







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 | |
|---|---|
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Perché sono sicura che non servano insetti a Londra! |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Mi sa che il mio è più vecchio del tuo! |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Sì, forse, ma sono un po’ occupato con alcuni progetti in questi giorni. |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Quanto paghi tu per la tua stanza? |
| 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 friend noted here it is your wedding anniversary! | Il mio amico ha annotato qui che è il vostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Vuoi scommetterci? |
| I mostly work till late at night, I never wake up at 7 in the morning. | Io lavoro per lo più fino a tardi la sera, non mi sveglio mai alle sette di mattina. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Lo fa solo quando è estremamente stressato! |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Grazie, sì, come ho detto, Camden è in zona 2… |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Non è per me, è per il riso caro! |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Non è carino, Mike! |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, sembra che non siano aggressivi l’uno con l’altro. |
| What else do we need? | Cos’altro ci serve? |
| Dear, who is it? | Caro, chi è? |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | Anch’io ne ho trovate 2, non ci sono molte opzioni a Camden Lock. |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | Sembra che non ci sia nessuno in casa! |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Sissignore, potete sedervi a questo tavolo. |