







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 | |
|---|---|
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Va bene, abbiamo ancora 3 mesi. |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La ricetta non viene da Internet, è di un libro di Jaimie Oliver. |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! Questa è Cate, lei è la mia… amica, da Londra. |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Prima di tutto, è tristissimo vedere soffrire il tuo animale domestico. |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Ecco perché l’affitto è molto più basso della media. |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Ecco a lei signore, il suo scontrino e il suo cashback da £ 20. |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mio Dio! È quasi mezzogiorno in punto. |
| How much rice do you need? | Di quanto riso hai bisogno? |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Cosa ne dice di quel tavolo? Sembra meglio. |
| Oh sorry dear, my husband has some difficulties hearing... | Oh scusi caro, mio marito ha difficoltà di udito… |
| How long does it usually take? | Quanto ci vuole di solito? |
| Is it big money? | Sono tanti soldi? |
| Then people come and complain to me! | Poi la gente arriva e si lamenta con me! |
| There is no table for you, then! | Allora niente tavolo per te! |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Non ho detto che è colpa tua, ma ora è il tuo turno… |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Spero che non sia l’indirizzo giusto! Sembra terribile. |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | Sì, penso sia un po’ presto per bussare alla porta di qualcuno! |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Non so in realtà, tu? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Non penso sia normale, tu pensi sia normale? |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | C’è un po’ di pane per i toast? |