







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | No, come ho detto prima, loro vivono in Australia. |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Anche tu vivi in questa casa? |
| 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. |
| What's the date today? | Che giorno è oggi? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Sì, sta assolutamente bene dopo aver riposato per un po'. |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | Quella ha una stanza singola, io voglio una doppia. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Non ne ho idea… Ma spero che abbia una buona scusa! |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Lui ha 70 anni, e mia mamma 64. |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Credo che £ 4000 siano abbastanza. |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | È più che abbastanza, ho bisogno anche di un po’ d’aglio. |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Non so, massimo 33? |
| Yeah, you are right, it's more useful when you have less things. | Già, hai ragione, è più utile quando hai meno cose. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Di sopra, c’è Diego e una coppia inglese vicino a lui. |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | Per quanto ne so i chow non sono buoni con gli altri animali. |
| 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! |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Mi dispiace ma ho cattive notizie sulla stanza… |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Ragazzi, questo è Diego. |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | No, lei sta assolutamente bene, grazie al cielo. |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Certamente cara, vuoi un bicchiere o una bottiglia? |