







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's almost 09:30. | Sono quasi le 9:30. |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Dov’è il mio f*ttuto deca? |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Beh, non credo che dobbiamo cuocere troppe cose contemporaneamente. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Il gatto di chi?… Vuol dire il mio gatto? |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Già, la nostra stanza ha solo una finestra! |
| 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! |
| Why do you want to live there? | Perché vuoi vivere la? |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hmm, credo sia un po’ vecchio, ma è ancora il mio preferito. |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Magari divento un po’ lunatica il primo giorno del ciclo. |
| I feel hungry, too. | Anch'io ho fame. |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm… Mi sa che è scaduto. |
| I wish you all the best. | Ti auguro tutto il meglio |
| I've checked some, there is nothing I like so far. | Ne ho guardata qualcuna, non c’è nulla che mi piaccia finora. |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Se stai per chiedermi dei soldi, non ne ho neppure io. |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Non riesco a crederci che non ci arrivi! |
| 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? |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Ma Tesco è più grande, c’è più varietà di prodotti. |
| How much rice do you need? | Di quanto riso hai bisogno? |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Naturalmente, ecco qui, questo è il bagno. |