







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Sì, sembra più logico in questo caso. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia un grosso problema per lui. |
| Are they older or younger? | Sono più grandi o più piccole? |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Già, mi domando se abbiamo lo stesso gusto nei film! |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Sì, è a Piccadilly Circus, proprio in centro. |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Mi dispiace dire che non sono ammessi animali domestici in casa! |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Erm… Sì… Certo! È il nostro primo anniversario! |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Poi però voglio farlo arrosto. |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Ragazzi, questo è Diego. |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Ci siamo, sono sicuro che significa che pagano molto meno. |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Sì, vuoi dire con i velocipedi? |
| Is that what you want me to do? | È quello che vuoi che faccia? |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, penso di conoscerli. |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mio marito ed io lo apprezziamo molto. |
| I wish you all the best. | Ti auguro tutto il meglio |
| What line is it on? | Su quale line si trova? |
| I don't like smoking in the kitchen. | Non mi piace fumare in cucina. |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Puoi smetterla di comportarti come se chiedessi sempre dei soldi? |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Lo fa solo quando è estremamente stressato! |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ho fame, ma è meglio prendere qualcosa quando incontriamo i ragazzi. |