







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 | |
|---|---|
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Umm… Noi siamo sposati… Voglio dire, oggi è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Dov’è Flora, non è qui? |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Sembra essere interessato a te! |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | No, è il proprietario, è una vecchia signora molto rigida su questo. |
| The rice section is over there. | La sezione riso è laggiù. |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Non voglio proprio vederla di nuovo! |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Salve ragazzi, tu devi essere Cate, io sono Joseph. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Non è molto meno… C’è una lieve differenza! |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Credo che voglia bere un po’ d’acqua. |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mio marito ed io lo apprezziamo molto. |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Ok, non mi piace cucinare, ma mi piace assaggiare il cibo. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Le regole per la dogana sono molto rigide in Australia. |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | Ok, allora voglio qualcosa di simile! |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | No, no, non c’è nulla di sbagliato, non devi preoccuparti, va tutto bene… |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Lei è mezza giapponese, mezza australiana. |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, è un continente! |
| I like girls' nights out. | Mi piacciono le serate fuori fra ragazze. |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Magari possiamo prendere qualcosa mentre andiamo alla stazione. |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | A proposito, io mi chiamo Mike, e tu? |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Bello! Spero non lo faccia sempre! |