







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 | |
|---|---|
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Va bene, abbiamo ancora 3 mesi. |
| Do we have to do that every time we need to open the door? | Dobbiamo farlo ogni volta che bisogna aprire la porta? |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Sto andando a Brighton, sono quasi arrivato! |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | È uno dei miei migliori amici, sfortunatamente. |
| Is it big money? | Sono tanti soldi? |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | C’è un problema con la batteria del tuo telefono? |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Pronto, Cate? |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | Vero! Quant’è il tuo affitto? |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Non siamo in quattro caro? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Ma è il mio ristorante preferito… |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | Suppongo che la mia unica scelta sia venire a casa tua! |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Baci anche a te, ti chiamerò quando arrivo! |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | No, ma è quello che mi va di mangiare… |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Scusa, guarda, ecco qui la stazione. |
| Is there a knife? | C’è un coltello? |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ho solo 3 ore oggi. |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Ce n'è uno alle 11:00 e quello dopo alle 11:20. |