







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 | |
|---|---|
| What's the time, are we early? | Che ore sono, siamo in anticipo? |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Anche i tuoi genitori vivono a Londra? |
| That's a good question! | È un'ottima domanda! |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Naturalmente, ho fatto le mie ricerche, è lungo 525 m. |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| Is there any other cat around? | C’è un qualche altro gatto in giro? |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Un po’ estremo, non penso che abbiamo un mortaio e pestello. |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Ehm... Non è lì? |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Anche tu vivi in questa casa? |
| I see, I love cooking! | Capisco, io adoro cucinare! |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Magari è davvero allergica ai gatti, non lo sappiamo. |
| I hope it’s not serious. | Spero non sia niente di serio. |
| Yes, that's the one. | Sì, proprio quello. |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | Ma è scaduto e c’è un buco. |
| Who is Mike, darling? | Chi è Mike, cara? |
| Is it really on the menu? | C’è davvero sul menu? |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oddio, è la seconda cosa che odio fare di più in cucina! |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Ehi, c’è uno sconosciuto in bagno, chi è? |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Ma ogni tanto soffia, è normale? |