







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 like the seafood restaurants there. | Mi piacciono i ristoranti di frutti di mare là. |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, penso di conoscerli. |
| I am 24. | Ho 24 anni. |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Poi però voglio farlo arrosto. |
| Okay, that's fine. | Ok va bene. |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Non mi aspettavo succedesse una cosa del genere, quindi non ho un piano. |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Non voglio che tu spenda una fortuna. |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bene, spero che non continuerà a fare la cacca in tutta la casa! |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Guarda, lì c’è un commesso. |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | Va bene, non è un problema. |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Per portare fuori Bear di solito mi ci vuole un'ora. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Che tipo di musica ti piace di più? |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | Sì, credo che il logo stia molto meglio al centro, tu cosa ne pensi? |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Già, la nostra stanza ha solo una finestra! |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Sì, sembra più logico in questo caso. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Devi premere il pulsante e girare a destra. |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | Quella ha una stanza singola, io voglio una doppia. |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Grazie, ma non posso rimanere. |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | È quello con la lingua blu? |
| It's too fruity. | È troppo fruttato. |