







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you live in this house, too? | Anche tu vivi in questa casa? |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | Decisamente costa molto, ma non è il solo problema. |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Gesù Cristo… L’ho capita adesso! È disgustoso… |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Fa puzzare tutti i nostri vestiti! |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Credo di sì, così può dare un’occhiata in giro mentre Bear non c’è. |
| 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'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | Mi piacerebbe un giorno quando inventeranno il teletrasporto. |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Si, il mio numero è 0773***0282 |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Guarda, si può vedere un tramonto bellissimo da questo punto. |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Ciao, mi spiace ma non c'è rimasto Chardonnay, Cate. |
| How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Andiamo Mike, non si tratta di quando io sono a casa. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | C’è un problema con la batteria del tuo telefono? |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | È quello con la lingua blu? |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Grazie, sì, come ho detto, Camden è in zona 2… |
| But for how many people? | Ma per quante persone? |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Li vedo molto in giro dove lavoro in realtà. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartamento non è una buona idea per Bear, non ha un giardino. |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Sembra un mix di inglese e australiano. |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | Possiamo vederci là alle 20:30, o è troppo tardi? |