







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 for not showing up at your opening. | Mi dispiace per non essere venuto all’apertura. |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Ciao, mi spiace ma non c'è rimasto Chardonnay, Cate. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Puoi mostrarmi quali vestiti devo mettere via, allora? |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Ma magari si stanno separando, non lo so ancora. |
| Are you serious? | Dici sul serio? |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Sì, ma il tuo non è così ovvio. |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | Spero tu ti renda conto che sono i tuoi ultimi 3 giorni per trovare una casa… |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | No, lei sta assolutamente bene, grazie al cielo. |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | Ecco perché non riesci a trovare la risposta! |
| I prefer red onions. | Preferisco le cipolle rosse. |
| I wish you all the best. | Ti auguro tutto il meglio |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Non preoccuparti, tutti quanti usano la mia roba continuamente. |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Sei molto realistica cara, dov’è la tua fede nuziale? |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Non sono davvero dell'umore giusto per unirmi a loro. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | La mia riunione Inizia all'1:00. |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | Suppongo che la mia unica scelta sia venire a casa tua! |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | Vero! Quant’è il tuo affitto? |
| What else do we need? | Cos’altro ci serve? |
| Hmm.. yes, we get on really well. | Hmmm... si, andiamo molto d'accordo. |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | A volte esco con le ragazze della scuola. |