







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 it's too far away from the tube station? | Non pensi sia troppo distante dalla stazione della metro? |
| What kind of trick is that? | Che tipo di trucco? |
| Well, that's another problem! | Beh, quello è un altro problema! |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Non preoccuparti Diego, non ha niente a che vedere con te! |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | È come; l'autobus che stai aspettando non arriva mai. |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | No, è il proprietario, è una vecchia signora molto rigida su questo. |
| He is the bartender. | È il barista. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | La mia riunione Inizia all'1:00. |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Sfortunatamente, è una teenager, ha 19 anni! |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ehm… So che russo occasionalmente, russo tutti i giorni? |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | Ho ancora due lezioni, finisco alle tre e trenta. |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Guarda, si può vedere un tramonto bellissimo da questo punto. |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | Bello, gli armadietti sembrano apposto, la panca è ok… |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | Non preoccuparti Mike, come ho detto, lo fa solo quando è stressato. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Non lo sapevo, spero non sia grave. |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un corso di un anno? Che tipo di corso è? |
| I'm an English teacher. | Sono un'insegnante di inglese. |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Sei molto realistica cara, dov’è la tua fede nuziale? |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Il tuo cane è un Chow Chow? |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Scusami, devo andare al bagno. |