







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 | |
|---|---|
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Ad ogni modo, questa è Cate e le sue amiche dal lavoro. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Mi fa piacere sentirlo. |
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | Sì l’ho fatto, perché, non è normale? |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Quindi decisamente non si tratta di divorzio. |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Deve essere a letto, di solito anche lui lavora la sera. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Ma ogni tanto soffia, è normale? |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | Sì, penso sia un po’ presto per bussare alla porta di qualcuno! |
| What's the time, are we early? | Che ore sono, siamo in anticipo? |
| 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? |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Quindi, è ovvio che non hai idea di quanto costi affittare una casa. |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 gradi è il massimo! |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Naturalmente, il mio nome è Cate e il mio numero è 077… |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Hm, ok… Penso di aver capito, è come Pinocchio? |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quale appuntamento? Vuoi dire la casa ad Angel? |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | No non sto mentendo! Non mento mai. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Lo fa solo quando è estremamente stressato! |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Sì, è normale, a volte soffia anche ai miei calzini nuovi! |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Chiamiamolo sesto senso! |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | È Leicester Square o Piccadilly Circus? |