







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 | |
|---|---|
| I've checked some, there is nothing I like so far. | Ne ho guardata qualcuna, non c’è nulla che mi piaccia finora. |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Hai ragione, c’è qualcosa che vuoi che compri sulla strada? |
| How old are you? | Quanti anni hai tu? |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Spero che non sia l’indirizzo giusto! Sembra terribile. |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Odio quando mi ronzano intorno alle orecchie per tutta la notte e mi svegliano. |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Ci vogliono solo 15 o 20 minuti. |
| No worries, I have got a peeler for you! | Niente paura, ho un pelino per te! |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Che c’è? Va tutto bene? |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Puoi mostrarmi quali vestiti devo mettere via, allora? |
| Do you remember me? | Ti ricordi di me? |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Sfortunatamente, è una teenager, ha 19 anni! |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Ciao amico, dove sei? |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | No, ho una brutta allergia. |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok l’ho trovato… Ma sembra sporco! |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Sì va bene stiamo per andarcene. |
| Do you live around here? | Vivi qui vicino? |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Non lo so davvero, ma credo sia più vecchia di 100 anni. |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hai guardato con attenzione, non abbiamo davvero nulla? |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | Ok, allora voglio qualcosa di simile! |