







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why? What's wrong? | Perché, che c'è che non va? |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalmente le ragazze controllano la lista dei vini per mezz’ora prima di ordinare. |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bene! Chi vuole lo Chardonnay allora? |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ho fame, ma è meglio prendere qualcosa quando incontriamo i ragazzi. |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Non capisco perché la chiamano ferie bancaria. |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Ci vediamo Mike, spero di rivederti. |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Sono felice di sentire che abbiamo gusti simili in fatto di musica! |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | Dato che fumo, io preferisco sedermi fuori. |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | No, non va bene, adesso sono fregato! |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Bello… Spero non sia una teenager! Quanti anni ha? |
| It sounds important. | Sembra importante. |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bene, spero che non continuerà a fare la cacca in tutta la casa! |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Ragazzi, questo è Diego. |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | No, è il proprietario, è una vecchia signora molto rigida su questo. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Mi scusi signore, ecco i vostri drink e il menù. |
| He is the bartender. | È il barista. |
| There is no table for you, then! | Allora niente tavolo per te! |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Vogliamo vederci alla stazione ferroviaria o vuoi che passi a prenderti a casa tua? |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ah, mi spiace molto, ma stasera siamo al completo! |