







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 | |
|---|---|
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Vuole farlo, ma stasera non è possibile. |
| My laptop is in it. | C'è dentro il mio laptop. |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Naturalmente, ci sono 4 ragazze, tutte studentesse universitarie dalla Germania. |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Magari preferiscono i fornelli elettrici nelle case condivise per motivi di sicurezza. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Mi piacciono le serate fuori fra ragazze. |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Già, mi domando se abbiamo lo stesso gusto nei film! |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Non c’è nulla sotto i 3000 ad Angel! |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Non penso sia possibile trovare delle altre variazioni. |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Perché non paghiamo 100 di più a testa, e prendiamo una casa a Mayfair? |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Un po’ estremo, non penso che abbiamo un mortaio e pestello. |
| I've checked some, there is nothing I like so far. | Ne ho guardata qualcuna, non c’è nulla che mi piaccia finora. |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Ecco perché l’affitto è molto più basso della media. |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | No è una ragazza molto carina, alla mano e cordiale. |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Beh, magari possiamo prendere un appartamento con 2 camere da letto. Cosa ne pensi? |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Credo che £ 4000 siano abbastanza. |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | È possibile non riuscire a trovare biglietti di ritorno? |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear va d’accordo con i gatti ma decisamente non con i cani. |
| He is a Chow Chow. | È un Chow Chow. |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Il resto della casa va bene, ma la cucina è un po’ sporca. |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ehm… So che russo occasionalmente, russo tutti i giorni? |