







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 | |
|---|---|
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | Erm, scusi, penso che abbia sbagliato Mike… |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Mi dispiace, a volte non sono bravo a ricordarmi i nomi! |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Certamente cara, vuoi un bicchiere o una bottiglia? |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | No, mi fa venire il mal di testa! |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salve ragazzi, è possibile fare un po’ meno rumore? |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Per me, non sprecare è più strano! |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | La gente porta le posate nella propria stanza e non le riporta indietro! |
| Set times always stress me out. | Gli orari fissi mi provocano sempre stress. |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Non ho idea di cosa sia il riso arborio! |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | No, non voglio… Non voglio più una casa a Mayfair! |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Tua mamma riesce a gestire la situazione da sola? |
| No, I don't have one! | No, non ce l’ho! |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Non preoccuparti Diego, non ha niente a che vedere con te! |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | In questi giorni vado molto spesso in quel pub. |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Ma una costa £ 2,44 e l’altra £ 1,22. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Certo, il mio nome Cate ed il mio numero è 077… |
| How is it my fault? | Com’è che è colpa mia? |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ho una sorella che ha 19 anni. |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quanto aglio vuoi? |
| Okay, if you say so, I trust you! | Ok, se lo dici tu, mi fido! |