







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 | |
|---|---|
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Poi però voglio farlo arrosto. |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Credo che dovremmo aspettare un po’ prima che se ne vada tutto il fumo. |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Voglio dire, cucini asiatico o altri tipi di cucina? |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Sfortunatamente, non ne ho una! Dov’è la tua? |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | I tuoi funghi dalla forma perfetta sono pronti! |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Quindi Pogo va molto d’accordo con i cani. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| There is a little market near the school. | C’è un piccolo alimentari dietro la scuola. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Perché pensi che sia strano? |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Hm, ok… Penso di aver capito, è come Pinocchio? |
| Okay, who sings it? | Ok, chi canta? |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | C’è uno spremi aglio allora? |
| Sh*t! I can't believe it's already 10:30! | Merda! Non riesco a credere che siano già le 10:30! |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Mi scusi signora Jones, c’è stato un malinteso… |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | Non è chissà cosa ma è una cosa piuttosto importante da menzionare. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Lo fa solo quando è estremamente stressato! |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Mi piace qualche canzone di Jamiroquai, ma non tutte. |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Non ho tempo di cucinare tutti i giorni. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Hai una sigaretta? |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Sì va bene stiamo per andarcene. |