







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 was just joking, how are you? | Stavo solo scherzando, come stai? |
| Why is that rice so special? | Perché quel riso è tanto speciale? |
| Hope to see you later. | Spero di rivederti. |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Ma magari si stanno separando, non lo so ancora. |
| 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. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Sì, è una buona idea! |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Perché non paghiamo 100 di più a testa, e prendiamo una casa a Mayfair? |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Ehm... Non è lì? |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Scusami, devo andare al bagno. |
| Hey, we are back. | Ehi, siamo tornati. |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | A quanto pare dovrai cambiare i tuoi piani di cucina adesso! |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Si, Bear mangia un gatto in mezzo ogni giorno per colazione. |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Siamo tornati, dov’è Bear? |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Conosci il pub dietro l'angolo? |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Bene, credo che mi piace molto la casa! |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Penso di sì, almeno non c’è aggressività. |
| Okay, so what's our plan now? | Ok, allora qual è il nostro piano? |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Ciao Mike, niente di che, come stai? |
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | Vuoi dire Rebecca e Cecilia? |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | E Pogo si spaventa molto a causa della folla e del rumore. |