







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | Sì, decisamente non gli piace cambiare aria. |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Andiamo, non piangere, è solo una stupida ragazza! |
| Okay, if you say so, I trust you! | Ok, se lo dici tu, mi fido! |
| It's too fruity. | È troppo fruttato. |
| What do you do? | Che cosa fai? |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Lo chiamo adesso allora, vuoi qualcos’altro? |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Non ne ho idea… Ma spero che abbia una buona scusa! |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Aspetta, ricordo che tu mi hai detto che non lucidi ma gli animali! |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | Già, la confezione è strappata ma non è scaduto. |
| What's the date today? | Che giorno è oggi? |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bene, spero che non continuerà a fare la cacca in tutta la casa! |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | In questi casi, Pogo rimane a casa da solo senza cibo e senza attenzioni. |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Non preoccuparti Mike, penso che questo sia meglio. |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Sì, lui è uno di quelli. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Beh, non proprio! Non mi piace molto cucinare. |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Quindi, è ovvio che non hai idea di quanto costi affittare una casa. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| I'm unleashing him now, is that okay for you? | Ora lo libero, va bene per te? |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Perché altre persone si lamentano che io fumo lì. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |