







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 | |
|---|---|
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Ma la loro stanza è quasi il doppio della dimensione della nostra stanza! |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | È un… Scusa Mike, cosa fai? |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| So does that mean you don't want to stay with me? | Quindi ciò significa che non vuoi stare con me? |
| Why is that rice so special? | Perché quel riso è tanto speciale? |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Cucino per la maggior parte piatti a base di carne, pesce e pollo. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Sì, mi piacciono anche loro. |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oddio, è la seconda cosa che odio fare di più in cucina! |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | I tuoi funghi dalla forma perfetta sono pronti! |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Deve essere a letto, di solito anche lui lavora la sera. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | A proposito, il deposito è £ 3000 e non trattabile… |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | È molto difficile parlare con te al telefono in questo momento. |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | Bello, gli armadietti sembrano apposto, la panca è ok… |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | Potresti per favore non dimenticarti di portare con te qualche borsa per la cacca! |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un corso di un anno? Che tipo di corso è? |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Si, Bear mangia un gatto in mezzo ogni giorno per colazione. |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | Ecco prendi, attento, è molto caldo. |
| Is there any other cat around? | C’è un qualche altro gatto in giro? |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Come dicono il tempo è la miglior medicina. |