







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 | |
|---|---|
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Ehm, non ne abbiamo, ma c’è il pane di qualcun altro. |
| It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | È una stanza doppia più c’è il servizio pulizia una volta a settimana. |
| Okay, so what's our plan now? | Ok, allora qual è il nostro piano? |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | Non è chissà cosa ma è una cosa piuttosto importante da menzionare. |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Nemmeno io l’ho vista, e non voglio proprio farlo… |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | Marvine Gaye, anni 60, ma questo è il remix. |
| I hate taking long flights! | Odio i voli lunghi! |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Sei sicura che venga dall’Australia? |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| That's where Diego works, too! | È anche dove lavora Diego! |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Grazie Rocco, è tutto per ora. |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Come sta tua mamma, lei ha qualche problema di salute? |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Il mio film preferito è Pulp Fiction. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Non lo so, forse un pochino! |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | Perché? Mi sembra piuttosto pulito! |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Credo di meritarmi un bacio… |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Um… Potrebbe essere blu, non mi ricordo proprio. |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | È quello con la lingua blu? |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Sono davvero strabiliata dalla struttura di questa stazione. |
| How is there four of us? | Com’è che siamo in quattro? |