







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 | |
|---|---|
| I mostly work till late at night, I never wake up at 7 in the morning. | |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | |
| Yes, that's the one. | |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | |
| How much do you pay for your room? | |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | |
| Why do you think it's weird? | |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | |
| Is it because it's too violent? | |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | |