







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Ciao cara, come sta andando, ti serve aiuto? |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Va bene, abbiamo ancora 3 mesi. |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Ma la loro stanza è quasi il doppio della dimensione della nostra stanza! |
| Is it big money? | Sono tanti soldi? |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Sì, è molto importante per me, in realtà. |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Baci anche a te, ti chiamerò quando arrivo! |
| Do you know her well? | La conosci bene? |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Erm… Sì… Certo! È il nostro primo anniversario! |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Mi dispiace molto per l’inconveniente. |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | È come se ci fosse il male nascosto dentro di loro! |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Posso portarlo come quando ritorno per colazione. |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | Mi faccia controllare… Quando le torna meglio? |
| His name's Sergio. | Si chiama Sergio. |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Grazie ancora per avermi ceduto il posto. |
| They are both okay for me. | Entrambi vanno bene per me. |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | Non c’è di che, ecco il menu, signora. |
| You are very funny mate. | Sei molto divertente amico. |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Come ti immagini un insegnante di inglese? |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hai fratelli o sorelle? |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | Voglio essere sobrio e energetico per domani. |