







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 | |
|---|---|
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | In più il bagno e la cucina sono puliti. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oddio, mi sento così stanca ora. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Abbiamo un mortaio e pestello? |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh pronto… Ho dimenticato di dire, è anche un’occasione molto speciale… |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Il vero problema non è la riunione! |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Giusto, sono sicuro che non pagano così tanto! |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Non penso che dovremo pagarlo. |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | Oh, scusa, non sapevo che non mi era permesso ordinare quello che voglio! |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ho una sorella che ha 19 anni. |
| No worries, I have got a peeler for you! | Niente paura, ho un pelino per te! |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, incredibile, è tua? |
| It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | Non cambierà nulla, ma ricordarmelo mi fa stressare! |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Hai ragione, probabilmente vale più di una sigaretta. |
| I'm a web designer. | Sono un Web designer. |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | Esatto, non dovremmo mai dimenticare quanto siano irresponsabili i miei coinquilini. |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Non siamo in quattro caro? |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | Tutto quanto è come descritto nell’annuncio. |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | Sì, credo che il logo stia molto meglio al centro, tu cosa ne pensi? |