







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 is that rice so special? | |
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
| Isn't it just a simple meeting cancellation? | |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | |
| No, they live in Australia. | |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | |
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |