







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | |
| It's too fruity. | |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | |
| Which website do you use? | |