







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 | |
|---|---|
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Non pensi che due forchette siano abbastanza per noi? |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Devi svegliarti presto domani o cose del genere? |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Che tipo di musica ti piace di più? |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hai detto in Russia? Insolito! |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia grave. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | Sembra che Pogo voglia andare in giardino. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Sì, devo essere là alle 12:30. |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Beh, non credo che dobbiamo cuocere troppe cose contemporaneamente. |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Mi stai davvero facendo questa domanda? |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | È molto difficile parlare con te al telefono in questo momento. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Vuoi che la butti nella spazzatura? |
| It's always the same. | È sempre la solita storia. |
| Hey, before you go... | Ehi, prima che vai… |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Cosa ne dice di quel tavolo? Sembra meglio. |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Che brutto, hai il raffreddore? |
| What do you do? | Che cosa fai? |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Non penso che dovremo pagarlo. |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quanto aglio vuoi? |