







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 | |
|---|---|
| How do you get to Brighton? | Como você vai para Brighton? |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hum, penso que seja um pouco antigo, mas é o meu favorito. |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | Suponho, mas quero acabar de ver todas as casas hoje. |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Está aqui, debaixo do edredom. |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Você quer que eu encontre uma casa sozinha? |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | Hum, neste piso sou só eu e uma menina francesa. |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Ou pior, por vezes eles fazem festas em casa! |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Já se sente um pouco melhor agora? |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | Sim, eu quero uma cerveja, suponho que você quer vinho, Cate? |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Minha reunião começa à uma hora. |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Sim, e o mercado é bom, Camden Lock fica na zona 2 ou 3? |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | Não, está tudo bem com ela, felizmente. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Lamento imenso o incômodo. |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | Acho que você vai ter de mudar seu plano de culinária agora! |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Sim, ele ficou totalmente bem depois de descansar um pouco. |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Quero dizer, você confeciona pratos asiáticos ou de outros tipos de cozinhas? |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Na receita diz 600 g. |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | A propósito, eu gosto da cor das paredes... O que você acha? |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | As pessoas levam os talheres para o quarto e não trazem de volta! |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Bem, talvez possamos encontrar um apartamento com 2 quartos. O que você acha? |