







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hmmm... Domani è Un giorno di ferie bancaria. |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Magari preferiscono i fornelli elettrici nelle case condivise per motivi di sicurezza. |
| But for how many people? | Ma per quante persone? |
| Thank you very much! | Grazie mille! |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | La mia riunione Inizia all'1:00. |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Non ho idea di cosa sia il riso arborio! |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Ok, non mi piace cucinare, ma mi piace assaggiare il cibo. |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Sì, lei ritorna, ma non è quello che faccio sempre? |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Va bene, sono quasi pronta. |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Dov’è Flora, non è qui? |
| That's a good question! | È un'ottima domanda! |
| They are both okay for me. | Entrambi vanno bene per me. |
| 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 think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Io penso di avere un’idea migliore su cosa possiamo farci con il letto! |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | Poi deciderai se sono un buon cuoco o no! |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Baci anche a te, ti chiamerò quando arrivo! |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| 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. |