







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | No, lei studia all’università in Russia. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Lo chiamo adesso allora, vuoi qualcos’altro? |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Credo di meritarmi un bacio… |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Ehi, l’cqua sta bollendo, vuoi che la versi in una pentola? |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | Indosso alcuni, posso controllare quando torno? |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | È uno dei miei migliori amici, sfortunatamente. |
| Anyway, the flight situation is a bit complicated. | Ad ogni modo, la situazione di volo è un po’ complicata. |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bene! Chi vuole lo Chardonnay allora? |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Hanno anche tre grosse finestre nella loro stanza! |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | I tuoi funghi dalla forma perfetta sono pronti! |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Cosa ne dice di quel tavolo? Sembra meglio. |
| Hope to see you later. | Spero di rivederti. |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Come arrivi a Brighton? |
| Sorry, I don't have much time, can I tell you the story when I'm back? | Scusa, non ho molto tempo, posso raccontarvi la storia quando torno? |
| Okay, the total is £36.74, sir. | Ok, il totale è £ 36,74 signore. |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Ma una costa £ 2,44 e l’altra £ 1,22. |
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | Sì, scusa, tutto quanto sembra sporco, ma credimi, non è colpa mia! |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Ciao amico, dove sei? |