







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 know how to use them? | Sai come usarle? |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Ad ogni modo, devo andare anche al gabinetto… |
| Are you close friends? | Siete buoni amici? |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Ma è vero, alcuni Chow sono un po’ aggressivi. |
| What's the time, are we early? | Che ore sono, siamo in anticipo? |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Sai, ad alcune persone non piace mettere il proprio annuncio su Internet. |
| My friend noted here it is your wedding anniversary! | Il mio amico ha annotato qui che è il vostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Voglio dire, non vivi qui con qualcuno della tua famiglia. |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Credo che dovremmo aspettare un po’ prima che se ne vada tutto il fumo. |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Oh, okay, c’è un problema con casa tua? |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | Ecco perché non mi fido mai delle persone tranquille… |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Umm… Noi siamo sposati… Voglio dire, oggi è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | La prima è lavare i piatti o pulire? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Non penso sia normale, tu pensi sia normale? |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Andiamo caro, sai che lo vuoi! |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Prima vuoi che metta il pollo nella pentola a pressione? |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Il vero problema non è la riunione! |
| It's too fruity. | È troppo fruttato. |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Puoi smetterla di comportarti come se chiedessi sempre dei soldi? |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Ehi, qual è la stazione più vicina a Chinatown? |