







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 | |
|---|---|
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Con i fornelli a gas qualcuno può lasciare il gas acceso, è troppo pericoloso! |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | È un’ottima scelta, fanno anche degli ottimi calamari qui. |
| How is there four of us? | Com’è che siamo in quattro? |
| Is that what you want to do? | È quello che vuoi fare? |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Sì, il ristorante è molto popolare. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hai dei fratelli o sorelle? |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | C’è un robot nel corpo di un ragazzino, ma lui non sa di essere un robot. |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Voglio dire, sembri troppo giovane per essere un insegnante. |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Sembra un'ottimo affare. |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Beh, magari possiamo prendere un appartamento con 2 camere da letto. Cosa ne pensi? |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | C'è qualcos'altro che posso fare per te, amore? |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un mazzetto è abbastanza per te? |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Grazie, ci vediamo là sabato alle 13:00. |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Sai, lei normalmente è una persona estremamente tranquille e calma. |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Non mi piace il loro Chardonnay. |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Non c’è rimasto molto da fare, solo qualcosina. |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Non abbiamo ancora quel sistema a Brighton. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Questo è il mio ragazzo, Mike. |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Benvenuti al Diamond Duck, ha una prenotazione, signore? |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Credo che voglia bere un po’ d’acqua. |