







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 | |
|---|---|
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Penso che una stanza sia vuota al momento al piano di sopra. |
| His name's Sergio. | Si chiama Sergio. |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Sì, sembra più logico in questo caso. |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Umm… Noi siamo sposati… Voglio dire, oggi è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| Is that okay for you? | Va bene per te? |
| Okay, we have all the things we need, then. | Ok abbiamo tutto quello che ci serve allora. |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | L'ho finalmente completato e domani è il grande giorno! |
| That's a perfect time to see a house... | Orario perfetto per vedere una casa… |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Sembra un mix di inglese e australiano. |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | No, non è mia, penso appartenga alla casa. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Non importa, credo siano alla stessa distanza. |
| He is fine. | Sta bene. |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Non sono stata là prima, dov’è? |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Perché non voglio sprecare altro tempo a trovare una casa nuova… |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Sì, ci sono anche dei coltelli. |
| Are you serious? | Dici sul serio? |
| Her name is Ayumi! | Si chiama Ayumi! |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Voglio dire, non vivi qui con qualcuno della tua famiglia. |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Um… Potrebbe essere blu, non mi ricordo proprio. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Hai una sigaretta? |