







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 borrowing, it's stealing! | Non è prendere in prestito, è rubare! |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Uova e bacon con un po’ di olive mi bastano. |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | Huh, Sono un sacco di soldi! |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Grazie, sì, come ho detto, Camden è in zona 2… |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | I tuoi funghi dalla forma perfetta sono pronti! |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Come dicono il tempo è la miglior medicina. |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Si tratta del mio adorabile gattino, Pogo! |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Puoi smetterla di comportarti come se chiedessi sempre dei soldi? |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Perché non hai risposto al telefono? |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | E Pogo si spaventa molto a causa della folla e del rumore. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh davvero? Non va bene. |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Va bene, sono quasi pronta. |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Il mio affitto è mensile, pago £ 600 al mese. |
| You are lucky! | Che fortuna! |
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | Perché me lo hai chiesto, vuoi che lo faccia bollire? |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm… Mi sa che è scaduto. |
| Why do you want to live there? | Perché vuoi vivere la? |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Poi c’è un po’ di formaggio ma ha un po’ di muffa. |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Ehm, ora non mi viene, ma suppongo sia più di 150 anni. |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Mi dispiace ma ho cattive notizie sulla stanza… |