







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Non è una cosa bella da dire a una donna… |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | Non ci sono voli diretti da Londra a Perth. |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Magari conosco il tuo amico. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Perché non hai risposto al telefono? |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Ehm… Già che hai le mani sporche… |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Ehilà, sei pronta? |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | È impossibile per me fare la pendolare dalla zona 9 alla 1 tutti i giorni. |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Già, mi domando se abbiamo lo stesso gusto nei film! |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Ad ogni modo, la mia lezione sta per iniziare, devo andare. |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | Sembra che non ci sia nessuno in casa! |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | Mi faccia controllare… Quando le torna meglio? |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Pronto, Cate? |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Sto bene, e tu? |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Umm, oh sì, ora lo vedo, il numero dell’annuncio è 9845… |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Si, il mio numero è 0773***0282 |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Aspetta un minuto, sono entrambe da 300 g e della stessa marca. |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Non mi sembri un insegnante di inglese. |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | È più che abbastanza, ho bisogno anche di un po’ d’aglio. |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sono là, sotto il piumino. |