







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's about a web project. | Si tratta di un progetto web. |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Li vedo molto in giro dove lavoro in realtà. |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Un po’ estremo, non penso che abbiamo un mortaio e pestello. |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Quindi, è ovvio che non hai idea di quanto costi affittare una casa. |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | Tutto quanto è come descritto nell’annuncio. |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| He is the bartender. | È il barista. |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | È tutta colpa tua! Mi sento così in imbarazzo ora… |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | Dato che fumo, io preferisco sedermi fuori. |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | Ci sono dei distributori automatici in stazione. |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | È molto difficile parlare con te al telefono in questo momento. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Per me, non sprecare è più strano! |
| Thank you very much! | Grazie mille! |
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | Di solito non lavorano dopo le 10. |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Aspetta, ricordo che tu mi hai detto che non lucidi ma gli animali! |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ehm, a proposito, dato che siamo sull’argomento… |
| How old do I look? | Quanti anni dimostro? |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Ti piace anche andare in treno? |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Come osa… È così stupido!!! |