







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 | |
|---|---|
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Penso di sì, almeno non c’è aggressività. |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | Ah, non posso mangiare il petto, troppo asciutto per me! |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Lei è mezza giapponese, mezza australiana. |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Ho una riunione con alcune persone. |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Hai dei parenti a Londra? |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Ti aspetti che faccia diventare la stanza più grande spingendo i muri? |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | Credo anch’io, ma ho un mal di testa molto forte! |
| Why do you want to live there? | Perché vuoi vivere la? |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | È rimasto solo sabato prima di dover traslocare domenica. |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Esattamente, una chiede 3500, l’altra 3000… |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Ciao Beatrix, sono io, Cate. |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Ehm... Ne dimostri circa 30? |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Ci siamo, sono sicuro che significa che pagano molto meno. |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | La ricetta è per 6 persone. |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | No, non voglio… Non voglio più una casa a Mayfair! |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sono là, sotto il piumino. |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Sono un po' stanca e ho molta fame. |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Davvero? Sade è anche uno dei miei preferiti. |