







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's not nice, Mike! | Non è carino, Mike! |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Mi dispiace dire che non c’è nulla di entusiasmante. |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Salve, il mio nome è Mike, sono il ragazzo di Cate… |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | Credo di sì, ma voglio finire di vedere tutte le case oggi. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Non penso che voglia parlare o risolvere niente! |
| Are you serious? | Dici sul serio? |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Mi scusi signora Jones, c’è stato un malinteso… |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Giusto, sono sicuro che non pagano così tanto! |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Siamo tornati, dov’è Bear? |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | Ma voglio vedere il molo di Brighton prima che cali il sole. |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 gradi è il massimo! |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Ehilà, sei pronta? |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Penso che una stanza sia vuota al momento al piano di sopra. |
| It's almost 09:30. | Sono quasi le 9:30. |
| You are absolutely right! | Hai assolutamente ragione! |
| My laptop is in it. | C'è dentro il mio laptop. |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Ciao amico, dove sei? |
| Do you have their number? | Hai il loro numero? |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Come vanno le cose, tutto bene? |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok l’ho trovato… Ma sembra sporco! |