







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 | |
|---|---|
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | Mi serve un po’ di prezzemolo ma sembra un po’ moscio. |
| Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | Perché? Non metto mai il punto interrogativo Quando cerco qualcosa! |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | Pensi davvero che possiamo permetterci un addetto alle pulizie? |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Poteva anche essere sua mamma… Chi lo sa? |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Cosa ne dice di quel tavolo? Sembra meglio. |
| Do you remember me? | Ti ricordi di me? |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | In più il bagno e la cucina sono puliti. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Pronto signora, è ancora in linea? |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Tua mamma riesce a gestire la situazione da sola? |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Sai, di solito ho le lezioni la mattina presto. |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Va bene, abbiamo ancora 3 mesi. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Esattamente, quindi pensi che le lumache siano insetti o no? |
| What kind of trick is that? | Che tipo di trucco? |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Sto andando a Brighton, sono quasi arrivato! |
| No, they live in Australia. | No, loro vivono in Australia. |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Non so, probabilmente la metterei nel cestino. |
| I wish you all the best. | Ti auguro tutto il meglio |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Sì, è nata in Australia, ma sua madre è giapponese. |