







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 | |
|---|---|
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | Sembra che Pogo voglia andare in giardino. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Che tipo di musica ti piace di più? |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Posso portarlo come quando ritorno per colazione. |
| Do you think electric stoves are better? | Credi che i fornelli elettrici siano meglio? |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Credo di sì, così può dare un’occhiata in giro mentre Bear non c’è. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Bene, credo che mi piace molto la casa! |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Questo è l’ultimo e sfortunatamente c’è un buco. |
| Is there a knife? | C’è un coltello? |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh davvero? Non va bene. |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Voglio dire, sembri troppo giovane per essere un insegnante. |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Esattamente, una chiede 3500, l’altra 3000… |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Non ho detto che è colpa tua, ma ora è il tuo turno… |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Non preoccuparti Mike, penso che questo sia meglio. |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Non pensi che due forchette siano abbastanza per noi? |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Gesù Cristo… L’ho capita adesso! È disgustoso… |
| Dear, who is it? | Caro, chi è? |
| Sh*t! I can't believe it's already 10:30! | Merda! Non riesco a credere che siano già le 10:30! |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | Mi serve un po’ di prezzemolo ma sembra un po’ moscio. |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Si, Bear mangia un gatto in mezzo ogni giorno per colazione. |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Va bene, affare fatto! Hai 3 giorni per pensare, a partire da ora! |