







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 | |
|---|---|
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | Il luogo dove si svolgerà la riunione è molto vicino al pontile di Brighton. |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Sì, è a Piccadilly Circus, proprio in centro. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | A proposito, il deposito è £ 3000 e non trattabile… |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Ehm, non ne abbiamo, ma c’è il pane di qualcun altro. |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Facciamo i conti, io pago 135 a settimana per una persona… |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | E per quanto difficile da credere, è pulito. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh davvero? Non va bene. |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Va più veloce, ma non vogliamo camminare fino alla stazione della metro. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Ma a volte mi sento in colpa a non essere là! |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | Il 50% di 135 è67,50… E fa un totale di 202,50. |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Vuoi che faccia a fette qualche fungo per te? |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Non è per me, è per il riso caro! |
| I'm an English teacher. | Sono un'insegnante di inglese. |
| Dear, who is it? | Caro, chi è? |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Quindi decisamente non si tratta di divorzio. |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Anche tu vivi in questa casa? |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Vuoi mettere il vassoio al centro? |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | A volte esco con le ragazze della scuola. |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Magari è davvero allergica ai gatti, non lo sappiamo. |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Mi sveglio e faccio il letto e poi riordino la stanza. |