







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 | |
|---|---|
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | La mia moglie adorata mi dice sempre quanto sono buoni i vostri involtini primavera. |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Non penso sia un film adatto ai bambini, caro. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Le regole per la dogana sono molto rigide in Australia. |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Esattamente, odio essere svegliato nel bel mezzo della notte! |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Cos’altro potrei fare? Vuoi che non dorma finché muoio? |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Bello… Spero non sia una teenager! Quanti anni ha? |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Certo! Perché è così importante per te? |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Sì, è a Piccadilly Circus, proprio in centro. |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | Anch’io ne ho trovate 2, non ci sono molte opzioni a Camden Lock. |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | Il luogo dove si svolgerà la riunione è molto vicino al pontile di Brighton. |
| Then people come and complain to me! | Poi la gente arriva e si lamenta con me! |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Sì, forse, ma sono un po’ occupato con alcuni progetti in questi giorni. |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Ciao Mike, niente di che, come stai? |
| No worries, I am not together with Mike. | Non preoccuparti, non sto insieme a Mike. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | No, ho una brutta allergia. |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Sono le 4 e mezza, quindi siamo giusto in tempo. |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | Esatto, non dovremmo mai dimenticare quanto siano irresponsabili i miei coinquilini. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Abbiamo un mortaio e pestello? |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Già, la nostra stanza ha solo una finestra! |
| Is that right? | È giusto? |