







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's about a web project. | Si tratta di un progetto web. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Grazie, ma non posso rimanere. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison’s non è più vicino? |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Certamente cara, vuoi un bicchiere o una bottiglia? |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Chi c**zo è, che ore sono? |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Il tuo cane è un Chow Chow? |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | In più il bagno e la cucina sono puliti. |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | Vero! Quant’è il tuo affitto? |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| How old are you? | Quanti anni hai tu? |
| Is she here with you? | Lei è qui con te? |
| Where are you? | Dove sei? |
| There is no table for you, then! | Allora niente tavolo per te! |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Grazie, ne ho 26. |
| I live very close by. | Vivo molto vicino. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Non penso che voglia parlare o risolvere niente! |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | Sembra che tu abbia un po’ di esperienza con il caffè. |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Sì, ci sono anche dei coltelli. |
| My cat is in the garden. | Il mio gatto è in giardino. |