







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Già, è una nazione piuttosto grande, più tipo un continente. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | È sulla linea Northern, la stessa che usiamo qui. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Non penso che voglia parlare o risolvere niente! |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Aspetta, ricordo che tu mi hai detto che non lucidi ma gli animali! |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Ma prima di andare, puoi chiamarli e chiedere se hanno problemi con gli animali domestici? |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | Ho ancora due lezioni, finisco alle tre e trenta. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Hai una sigaretta? |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Naturalmente, ci sono 4 ragazze, tutte studentesse universitarie dalla Germania. |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Con i fornelli a gas qualcuno può lasciare il gas acceso, è troppo pericoloso! |
| What kind of trick is that? | Che tipo di trucco? |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Naturalmente, 2 pomodori sono abbastanza penso. |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Sarebbe fantastico! Pensi sia possibile? |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Magari conosco il tuo amico. |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Vuoi scommetterci? |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Penso che tu mi svegli più di quanto fanno le zanzare! |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Li pesano qui o alla cassa? |
| Do you have any area in mind? | Hai in mente delle zone? |