







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 hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Spero che non sia l’indirizzo giusto! Sembra terribile. |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | A proposito, io mi chiamo Mike, e tu? |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Non è per me, è per il riso caro! |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | No, ho una brutta allergia. |
| I hope they are going to be here on time, too... I don't like waiting. | Spero che anche loro siano qui in tempo… Non mi piace aspettare. |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Mi dispiace ragazzi, non si tratta sull’affitto! |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | Ho ancora due lezioni, finisco alle tre e trenta. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Non voglio più restare in questa casa! |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | In questi casi, Pogo rimane a casa da solo senza cibo e senza attenzioni. |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | Guarda lo scaffale, l’etichetta dice £ 2,20 chilo. |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| I'm a web designer. | Sono un Web designer. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | La prima è lavare i piatti o pulire? |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Vogliamo vederci alla stazione ferroviaria o vuoi che passi a prenderti a casa tua? |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Non pensi che due forchette siano abbastanza per noi? |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Questo tipo di persone irresponsabili mi fanno arrabbiare! |
| I've experienced how difficult and expensive it can be. | Ho visto quanto può essere difficile e costoso. |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | No, le oyster card servono solo per i mezzi pubblici a Londra. |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Sai domani è il mio ultimo giorno. |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Mi dispiace dire che non sono ammessi animali domestici in casa! |