







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 | |
|---|---|
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Lui ha 70 anni, e mia mamma 64. |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | L’ho fatto? Non so… Che cosa? |
| 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. |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | Ma voglio vedere il molo di Brighton prima che cali il sole. |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Lei è mezza giapponese, mezza australiana. |
| How old do I look? | Quanti anni dimostro? |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Hai dei parenti a Londra? |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Sì, sono qui che aspetto la buona notizia. |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Penso che Diego ed io siamo gli unici fumatori in casa. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Puoi chiedermi tutto quello che vuoi sapere. |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | È uno dei miei migliori amici, sfortunatamente. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Chiamiamolo sesto senso! |
| Is your father sick? | Tuo padre è malato? |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Mi sa che il mio è più vecchio del tuo! |
| His name's Sergio. | Si chiama Sergio. |
| Who is Mike, darling? | Chi è Mike, cara? |
| What's the date today? | Che giorno è oggi? |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear è seduto qui con me, con il pistolino all’aria. |