







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why don't you answer your phone? | |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | |
| Do you like red or white onions? | |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | |
| Why? What's wrong? | |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | |
| It sounds important. | |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | |