







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 think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Penso che Diego ed io siamo gli unici fumatori in casa. |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Magari conosco il tuo amico. |
| Do you have their number? | Hai il loro numero? |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Sto andando a Brighton, sono quasi arrivato! |
| How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Facciamo i conti, io pago 135 a settimana per una persona… |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | Suppongo che il tempo per te non passi mai quando sono via. |
| Which website do you use? | Quale sito web usi? |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Spero non sia un tipo problematico, allora… |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Poteva anche essere sua mamma… Chi lo sa? |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Sì, è nata in Australia, ma sua madre è giapponese. |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | Sì, il tizio con la barba è Mike. |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Sembra un'ottimo affare. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Ciao amico mio, come stai? |
| You are very funny mate. | Sei molto divertente amico. |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Quello in fondo sembra più fresco. |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| Is that what you want me to do? | È quello che vuoi che faccia? |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | Sono un po’ paranoica su questa cosa. |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | Non si è ancora reso conto che siamo dal veterinario. |