







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's true! How much is your rent? | Vero! Quant’è il tuo affitto? |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Ehm... Ne dimostri circa 30? |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | E per quanto difficile da credere, è pulito. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | A proposito, il deposito è £ 3000 e non trattabile… |
| What do you do? | Che cosa fai? |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Sì, penso che questo guardaroba sia troppo piccolo per due persone. |
| I'm a web designer. | Sono un Web designer. |
| I've checked some, there is nothing I like so far. | Ne ho guardata qualcuna, non c’è nulla che mi piaccia finora. |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Non ho tempo di cucinare tutti i giorni. |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Ti sto solo stuzzicando mia cara, 200° va bene! |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Già, la nostra stanza ha solo una finestra! |
| Oh, sorry, I also need a grater for the cheese. | Oh, scusa, mi serve anche una grattugia per il formaggio. |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Non penso sia un film adatto ai bambini, caro. |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | Perché non prendete quella allora? Volete vedere piano di sopra o no? |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Naturalmente, oh, c’è una pizza mezza mangiata nel forno. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Non voglio più restare in questa casa! |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Naturalmente, ci sono 4 ragazze, tutte studentesse universitarie dalla Germania. |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hai fratelli o sorelle? |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | No, non è mia, penso appartenga alla casa. |