







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 sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Mi dispiace dire che non c’è nulla di entusiasmante. |
| Do you have their number? | Hai il loro numero? |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | Ecco perché non riesci a trovare la risposta! |
| Is it big money? | Sono tanti soldi? |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Gli chiederò di portare fuori Bear, così noi possiamo fare colazione. |
| I'm really sorry about that! | Mi dispiace davvero tanto! |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Mi dispiace dire che non sono ammessi animali domestici in casa! |
| How old are you? | Quanti anni hai tu? |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | La notte scorsa siamo rimasti aperti fino a tardi, e sai qual è la sua scusa. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oddio, mi sento così stanca ora. |
| I live very close by. | Vivo molto vicino. |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | Voglio dormire un po' dato che è festa. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Naturalmente, il mio nome è Cate e il mio numero è 077… |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Ehilà, non mi chiamo Dick, ma Nick… Inizia con la N. |
| Hope to see you later. | Spero di rivederti. |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Vuoi che chiami Diego allora? |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | Non è troppo presto per la cena? |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, è un continente! |