







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 | |
|---|---|
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Ma magari si stanno separando, non lo so ancora. |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | No, scoliamo la pasta con una grattugia. |
| It's too fruity. | È troppo fruttato. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | La mia riunione Inizia all'1:00. |
| Okay, so do you want me to make 3 serves? | Ok, allora vuoi che faccia 3 porzioni? |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Sì, costano tutti all’incirca 2 sterline. |
| I mostly work till late at night, I never wake up at 7 in the morning. | Io lavoro per lo più fino a tardi la sera, non mi sveglio mai alle sette di mattina. |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Non ho idea di cosa sia il riso arborio! |
| Until you just light your cigarette. | Fino a quando non ti accendi una sigaretta. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Abbiamo un mortaio e pestello? |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | È possibile trasferirsi domani? |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente è molto più costoso degli altri. |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Sai, ad alcune persone non piace mettere il proprio annuncio su Internet. |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Andiamo, non piangere, è solo una stupida ragazza! |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | Credo anch’io, ma ho un mal di testa molto forte! |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | C’è qualcos’altro che vuoi che faccia? |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bene! Chi vuole lo Chardonnay allora? |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh davvero? Non va bene. |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Mi sveglio e faccio il letto e poi riordino la stanza. |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | A volte non riconosce neppure mia mamma. |