







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 | |
|---|---|
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | Perché noi li conosciamo e abbiamo il loro numero di cellulare? |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | No, ho una brutta allergia. |
| Are you serious? | Dici sul serio? |
| You look much younger than that. | Sembri molto più giovane. |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Desidera un altro giro da bere prima signore? |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Non so in realtà, tu? |
| I wish you all the best. | Ti auguro tutto il meglio |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Sembra un mix di inglese e australiano. |
| And the buses always arrive on time. | E gli autobus arrivano sempre in orario. |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Erm… Sì… Certo! È il nostro primo anniversario! |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Poi c’è un po’ di formaggio ma ha un po’ di muffa. |
| I prefer red onions. | Preferisco le cipolle rosse. |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hai guardato con attenzione, non abbiamo davvero nulla? |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| Is that what you want me to do? | È quello che vuoi che faccia? |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Non sono davvero dell'umore giusto per unirmi a loro. |
| Hey, before you go... | Ehi, prima che vai… |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un mazzetto è abbastanza per te? |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Come sta tua mamma, lei ha qualche problema di salute? |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Ciao amico mio, come stai? |