







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 | |
|---|---|
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Certamente cara, vuoi un bicchiere o una bottiglia? |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalmente le ragazze controllano la lista dei vini per mezz’ora prima di ordinare. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Pronto signora, è ancora in linea? |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | Huh, Sono un sacco di soldi! |
| What's your favourite movie? | Qual è il tuo film preferito? |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Grazie, ma non posso rimanere. |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Come vanno le cose, tutto bene? |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | A volte non riconosce neppure mia mamma. |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | È possibile trasferirsi domani? |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Sì, forse, ma sono un po’ occupato con alcuni progetti in questi giorni. |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | Bello, mi piace la musica e il testo. |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear è seduto qui con me, con il pistolino all’aria. |
| He wouldn't run away, he just wants to check what's outside. | Non scapperebbe via, vuole soltanto dare un’occhiata a cosa c’è fuori. |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Beh, parla di un ragazzino, voglio dire un robot. |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Con i fornelli a gas qualcuno può lasciare il gas acceso, è troppo pericoloso! |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | È ad Islington, zona 1, per me il luogo migliore finora. |
| I'm unleashing him now, is that okay for you? | Ora lo libero, va bene per te? |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | Che bello, cosa cucini di solito? |