







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 we have a mortar and pestle? | Abbiamo un mortaio e pestello? |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bene! Chi vuole lo Chardonnay allora? |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh, andiamo cara, stavo solo scherzando, lo sai… |
| How is it my fault? | Com’è che è colpa mia? |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Grazie per la considerazione, caro. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Umm, oh sì, ora lo vedo, il numero dell’annuncio è 9845… |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | In questi casi, Pogo rimane a casa da solo senza cibo e senza attenzioni. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Pronto signora, è ancora in linea? |
| 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. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Sì, ce l’ho! |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quanto aglio vuoi? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | E dobbiamo pesare tutto quanto noi, eccetera. |
| They are both okay for me. | Entrambi vanno bene per me. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison’s non è più vicino? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Sì, sta assolutamente bene dopo aver riposato per un po'. |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Sì, ma il tuo non è così ovvio. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ho una sorella che ha 19 anni. |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | Non devo svegliarmi molto presto. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo è il mio gattino, c’è qualche problema con questo? |
| Where are you? | Dove sei? |