







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Cosa ne pensi, caro, piace anche a te? |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | I tuoi funghi dalla forma perfetta sono pronti! |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Naturalmente, 2 pomodori sono abbastanza penso. |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | È più che abbastanza, ho bisogno anche di un po’ d’aglio. |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Sto andando a Brighton, sono quasi arrivato! |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Grazie Rocco, è tutto per ora. |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Non c’è nulla sotto i 3000 ad Angel! |
| I see, I love cooking! | Capisco, io adoro cucinare! |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Ci vediamo Mike, spero di rivederti. |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Voglio dire, sembri troppo giovane per essere un insegnante. |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | Um, su questo piano solo io ed una ragazza francese alla porta accanto. |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | Poi deciderai se sono un buon cuoco o no! |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | Il ragazzino pensa di essere un robot o il robot pensa di essere un ragazzino? |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | Qual è il motivo della cancellazione questa volta? |