







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 | |
|---|---|
| Calm down dear, I don't think he realises what he says. | Calmati cara, non penso si renda conto di quello che dice. |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Sì, vuoi dire con i velocipedi? |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salve ragazzi, è possibile fare un po’ meno rumore? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Ma certo! È il mio pub preferito. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Ad ogni modo, questa è Cate e le sue amiche dal lavoro. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Sì, è stato piuttosto facile, vivo molto vicino. |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | No, ho una brutta allergia. |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | Chiederai scusa per aver detto che sono stupido allora? |
| You are lucky! | Che fortuna! |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Li vedo molto in giro dove lavoro in realtà. |
| Don't worry, I don't like having a very heavy breakfast. | Non preoccuparti, non mi piace mangiare molto a colazione. |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Si sono io, come stai? |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Non preoccuparti, per te oggi è gratis. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Sì, è una buona idea. |
| What else do we need? | Cos’altro ci serve? |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Li pesano qui o alla cassa? |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | No, è il proprietario, è una vecchia signora molto rigida su questo. |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Come ho detto, è molto più semplice da aprire con due persone. |