







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Sì, è meglio non riempire completamente la vasca, perde verso il piano di sotto. |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Mi stai davvero facendo questa domanda? |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Perché non voglio sprecare altro tempo a trovare una casa nuova… |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | A proposito, il deposito è £ 3000 e non trattabile… |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mio Dio! È quasi mezzogiorno in punto. |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La ricetta non viene da Internet, è di un libro di Jaimie Oliver. |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | È un’ottima scelta, fanno anche degli ottimi calamari qui. |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Qual è il tuo budget mensile massimo per l’affitto? |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Ad ogni modo, questa è Cate e le sue amiche dal lavoro. |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Sfortunatamente, è una teenager, ha 19 anni! |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Mi scusi signora Jones, c’è stato un malinteso… |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Ce ne sono molti altri, ma penso che gumtree.com sia il migliore. |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | No non cucino cose sofisticate, solo piatti normali. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | C’è qualcos’altro che vuoi che faccia? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Quindi vuoi che mi trovi una casa da sola? |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Non è per me, è per il riso caro! |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh no! Sicuri di non avere nulla disponibile? |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Ti senti un po’ meglio ora? |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Hm, ok… Penso di aver capito, è come Pinocchio? |