







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 | |
|---|---|
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Non pensi sia troppo distante dalla stazione della metro? |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Conosci il pub dietro l'angolo? |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Sembra un mix di inglese e australiano. |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Sei l’unico fumatore in casa? |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Come ti immagini un insegnante di inglese? |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Guarda, si può vedere un tramonto bellissimo da questo punto. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Sì, è normale, a volte soffia anche ai miei calzini nuovi! |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Sei molto realistica cara, dov’è la tua fede nuziale? |
| No worries, I have got a peeler for you! | Niente paura, ho un pelino per te! |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Il resto della casa va bene, ma la cucina è un po’ sporca. |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Stavo solo scherzando, come stai? |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Ciao amico mio, come stai? |
| How long does it usually take? | Quanto ci vuole di solito? |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Quindi, è ovvio che non hai idea di quanto costi affittare una casa. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Sì, è molto importante per me, in realtà. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Di sopra, c’è Diego e una coppia inglese vicino a lui. |
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | No, lei studia all’università in Russia. |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Vai spesso al Windmill? |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Magari è davvero allergica ai gatti, non lo sappiamo. |