







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 | |
|---|---|
| We all love bank holidays. | A tutti noi piacciono le ferie bancarie. |
| Hmm.. yes, we get on really well. | Hmmm... si, andiamo molto d'accordo. |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Nemmeno io l’ho vista, e non voglio proprio farlo… |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Questo è l’ultimo e sfortunatamente c’è un buco. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | La prima è lavare i piatti o pulire? |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Esattamente, quindi pensi che le lumache siano insetti o no? |
| No, what is that? | No, che cosa? |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | Non è una cosa bella da fare. |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Non mi sembri un insegnante di inglese. |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Non preoccuparti, tutti quanti usano la mia roba continuamente. |
| I know, I thought you might like to have it with her alone. | Lo so, pensavo che ti facesse piacere farla con lei da solo. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | No, non so cosa c’è di tuo nel frigo. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | È l’idraulico, cara, a quanto pare è ostruito. |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | È febbre da fieno? Ho delle pillole per quella! |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Magari è davvero allergica ai gatti, non lo sappiamo. |
| Is it because it's too violent? | È perché è troppo violento? |
| How many people live in this house? | Quante persone vivono in questa casa? |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Mi fa piacere sentirlo. |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Una combinazione molto interessante. |
| Is it really on the menu? | C’è davvero sul menu? |