







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 | |
|---|---|
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Spero non sia un tipo problematico, allora… |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | C’è qualcos’altro che vuoi che faccia? |
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | Vuoi dire Rebecca e Cecilia? |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Quindi voglio cucinare quanto più possibile adesso. |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 gradi dovrebbero essere abbastanza. |
| The rice section is over there. | La sezione riso è laggiù. |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Non abbiamo ancora quel sistema a Brighton. |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Sì, ci sono anche dei coltelli. |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Sembri un po’ triste, stai bene? |
| Sorry, I don't have much time, can I tell you the story when I'm back? | Scusa, non ho molto tempo, posso raccontarvi la storia quando torno? |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Non penso che tu voglia più che io rimanga qui! |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm… Mi sa che è scaduto. |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | C’è uno spremi aglio allora? |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Ma Tesco è più grande, c’è più varietà di prodotti. |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | Scusa se te lo chiedo, ma hai le tue cose o roba del genere? |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Sono felice di sentire che abbiamo gusti simili in fatto di musica! |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | In realtà, è molto urgente per me. |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Ci vediamo Mike, spero di rivederti. |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Hai ragione, c’è qualcosa che vuoi che compri sulla strada? |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Grazie per la considerazione, caro. |