







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'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Mi dispiace molto, ma dobbiamo cancellare il nostro appuntamento di oggi. |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quanto aglio vuoi? |
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | Attenti al terzo scalino, non è molto stabile. |
| I hope he gets well soon. | Spero che possa riprendersi presto. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Ciao, il tuo gatto sta bene? |
| But for how many people? | Ma per quante persone? |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Come dicono il tempo è la miglior medicina. |
| Depends on where you look. | Dipende da dove cerchi. |
| Do you want me to call them? | Vuoi che li chiami io? |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | No, scoliamo la pasta con una grattugia. |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Come ti immagini un insegnante di inglese? |
| Sorry, madam, Friday is one of our busiest nights! | Mi spiace, signora, venerdì è una delle nostre sere più affollate! |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | Sì, credo che il logo stia molto meglio al centro, tu cosa ne pensi? |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Sei l’unico fumatore in casa? |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Voglio provare il Sauvignon Blanc. |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | Voglio che controlli i termosifoni nelle stanze già che è qui! |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | No, lei sta assolutamente bene, grazie al cielo. |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Non raccogli mai la cacca di Bear dal marciapiede. |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | Non c’è di che, ecco il menu, signora. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Sì, ho due sorelle. |