







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 | |
|---|---|
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | Attenti al terzo scalino, non è molto stabile. |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Erm… Sì… Certo! È il nostro primo anniversario! |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Um, oggi mi va di mangiare soltanto pesce. |
| 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. |
| It's the second one from the top. | È il secondo da sopra. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Puoi mostrarmi quali vestiti devo mettere via, allora? |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Mi dispiace dire che non sono ammessi animali domestici in casa! |
| How old are you? | Quanti anni hai tu? |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, sembra che non siano aggressivi l’uno con l’altro. |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Sembra essere interessato a te! |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sono là, sotto il piumino. |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Giusto, sono sicuro che non pagano così tanto! |
| Is it really on the menu? | C’è davvero sul menu? |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Grazie Rocco, è tutto per ora. |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 gradi è il massimo! |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Sì, il ristorante è molto popolare. |
| Sh*t! I can't believe it's already 10:30! | Merda! Non riesco a credere che siano già le 10:30! |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Non ho idea di cosa sia il riso arborio! |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Certamente cara, vuoi un bicchiere o una bottiglia? |