







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 | |
|---|---|
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ehm, a proposito, dato che siamo sull’argomento… |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | È più che abbastanza, ho bisogno anche di un po’ d’aglio. |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Penso che tu mi svegli più di quanto fanno le zanzare! |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Ehm, ora non mi viene, ma suppongo sia più di 150 anni. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salve ragazzi, è possibile fare un po’ meno rumore? |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Non capisco perché la chiamano ferie bancaria. |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Qual è il tuo budget mensile massimo per l’affitto? |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh davvero? Non va bene. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | Il 50% di 135 è67,50… E fa un totale di 202,50. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Davvero? Come faccio a svegliarti? |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Conosci il pub dietro l'angolo? |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Mi sa che il mio è più vecchio del tuo! |
| But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | Ma l’annuncio diceva che la casa è completamente ammobiliata! |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Sì, continuo a non farlo. |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La ricetta non viene da Internet, è di un libro di Jaimie Oliver. |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Il resto della casa va bene, ma la cucina è un po’ sporca. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | A proposito, il deposito è £ 3000 e non trattabile… |
| Is that okay for you? | Va bene per te? |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Ma magari si stanno separando, non lo so ancora. |