







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 | |
|---|---|
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Di sopra, c’è Diego e una coppia inglese vicino a lui. |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Aspetta, c’è un altro sito web che dice… |
| Her name is Ayumi! | Si chiama Ayumi! |
| Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | Perché? Non metto mai il punto interrogativo Quando cerco qualcosa! |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Ad ogni modo, cos’altro c’è rimasto da fare adesso? |
| But I don't know him well. | Ma non lo conosco bene. |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Non mi aspettavo succedesse una cosa del genere, quindi non ho un piano. |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | La ricetta dice 600 g. |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Ti piace anche andare in treno? |
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Non molto, le mie lezioni iniziano alle 12:30. |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | Non mi ci vedo su un aereo per tutto quel tempo! |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Aspetta un minuto, sono entrambe da 300 g e della stessa marca. |
| Are you with your friends? | Sei con i tuoi amici? |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Già, è una nazione piuttosto grande, più tipo un continente. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison’s non è più vicino? |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Sfortunatamente, non ne ho una! Dov’è la tua? |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Come ho detto, è molto più semplice da aprire con due persone. |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Per il risotto ho bisogno di un po’ di riso arborio. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Non è carino, Mike! |
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | Sì, scusa, tutto quanto sembra sporco, ma credimi, non è colpa mia! |