







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Mi dispiace dire che non c’è nulla di entusiasmante. |
| Is that what you want me to do? | È quello che vuoi che faccia? |
| How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Mi dispiace ma ho cattive notizie sulla stanza… |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Andiamo caro, sai che lo vuoi! |
| Do you have another one? | Ne hai un altro? |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Magari conosco il tuo amico. |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh, c*zzo, che razza di rubinetto è questo? |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Controllo di nuovo, ci sono solo due forchette e un cucchiaio! |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Ci siamo, sono sicuro che significa che pagano molto meno. |
| I hate taking long flights! | Odio i voli lunghi! |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Eccetto le zanzare perché mi rovinano il sonno. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Ma ogni tanto soffia, è normale? |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Sì, ma la stanza è quadrata e ci sono solo quattro oggetti principali dentro. |
| I'm an English teacher. | Sono un'insegnante di inglese. |
| Do we have a sieve? | Abbiamo un colino? |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Hmm, mi piace pop, rock, funk. |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Spero non sia un tipo problematico, allora… |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | No, questo è il marchio del negozio, ecco perché non è troppo costoso. |