







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 | |
|---|---|
| Set times always stress me out. | Definir horas sempre me estressou. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Tenho uma irmã e ela tem dezanove anos. |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | Não, fico com dores de cabeça! |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Já se sente um pouco melhor agora? |
| How is there four of us? | Como assim os quatro? |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Meu marido e eu agradecemos muito. |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | Fica na linha norte, a mesma que usamos hoje. |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Estou a ver novamente, só temos dois garfos e uma colher de chá! |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Na verdade, o gato não é meu, é da minha namorada. |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | É por isso que eu nunca confio em pessoas calmas... |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | E é difícil de acreditar, mas está limpo. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo é o meu gatinho, há algum problema? |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | É por isso que você não encontra a resposta! |
| Sorry, madam, Friday is one of our busiest nights! | Lamento, senhora, sexta-feira é uma das nossas noites mais ocupadas! |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Oi, desculpe, estou um pouco atrasada. |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Vamos fazer contas, eu pago 135 por semana por uma pessoa... |
| Because you are in it. | A diferença é que você faz parte dela. |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | São 4 e meia, chegamos mesmo na hora certa. |
| What kind of trick is that? | Que tipo de truque é esse? |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | É muito difícil para mim visitá-los mais de uma vez por ano. |