







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | No, ma è quello che mi va di mangiare… |
| He is fine. | Sta bene. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Ma a volte mi sento in colpa a non essere là! |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Sono mezza inglese e mezza australiana. |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Deve passare 1 anno per superare la data di scadenza. |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | No non cucino cose sofisticate, solo piatti normali. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Puoi mostrarmi quali vestiti devo mettere via, allora? |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Se stai per chiedermi dei soldi, non ne ho neppure io. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Ciao, il tuo gatto sta bene? |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Aspetta, ricordo che tu mi hai detto che non lucidi ma gli animali! |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | Non preoccuparti, non lo facciamo tutti i giorni. |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Ci sono delle patatine o qualche spuntino? |
| I'm really sorry about that! | Mi dispiace davvero tanto! |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Sai, di solito ho le lezioni la mattina presto. |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hmm, credo sia un po’ vecchio, ma è ancora il mio preferito. |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | Bene, vedere tre case in un giorno non è male. |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Hanno anche tre grosse finestre nella loro stanza! |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Non voglio proprio vederla di nuovo! |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Sfortunatamente, è una teenager, ha 19 anni! |
| Is she here with you? | Lei è qui con te? |