







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 | |
|---|---|
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Va bene, affare fatto! Hai 3 giorni per pensare, a partire da ora! |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Perché non paghiamo 100 di più a testa, e prendiamo una casa a Mayfair? |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | Quando la smetterai di credere che possiamo prendere una casa a Mayfair a 2400! |
| You are very funny mate. | Sei molto divertente amico. |
| What do you want me to do with them? | Cosa vuoi che ci faccio? |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Non mi sembri un insegnante di inglese. |
| I hope they are going to be here on time, too... I don't like waiting. | Spero che anche loro siano qui in tempo… Non mi piace aspettare. |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | Indosso alcuni, posso controllare quando torno? |
| It's the second one from the top. | È il secondo da sopra. |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Sai, di solito ho le lezioni la mattina presto. |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Certo, la nostra cucina è stata rinnovata di recente… |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Un po’ estremo, non penso che abbiamo un mortaio e pestello. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Sì, è nata in Australia, ma sua madre è giapponese. |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Sono felice di sentire che abbiamo gusti simili in fatto di musica! |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | No, non voglio… Non voglio più una casa a Mayfair! |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Non posso chiamarlo al momento perché il suo telefono è irraggiungibile. |
| How long does it usually take? | Quanto ci vuole di solito? |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Ok, non mi piace cucinare, ma mi piace assaggiare il cibo. |