







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Gesù Cristo… L’ho capita adesso! È disgustoso… |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | La gente porta le posate nella propria stanza e non le riporta indietro! |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | Non si è ancora reso conto che siamo dal veterinario. |
| It's almost 09:30. | Sono quasi le 9:30. |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | C’è un po’ di pane per i toast? |
| What line is it on? | Su quale line si trova? |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | Non è prendere in prestito, è rubare! |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Ad ogni modo, questa è Cate e le sue amiche dal lavoro. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | C’è qualcos’altro che vuoi che faccia? |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Sono felice di sentire che abbiamo gusti simili in fatto di musica! |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | I miei padroni di casa sono una coppia gay. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Ciao, scusa se sono un po’ in ritardo. |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hai detto in Russia? Insolito! |
| Is there any other cat around? | C’è un qualche altro gatto in giro? |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | Il 50% di 135 è67,50… E fa un totale di 202,50. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh, andiamo cara, stavo solo scherzando, lo sai… |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Lui ha 70 anni, e mia mamma 64. |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | No, non è mia, penso appartenga alla casa. |