







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 | |
|---|---|
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | |
| You are lucky! | |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | |
| Her name is Ayumi! | |
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | |
| Does that help you to believe me? | |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | |
| Are you with your friends? | |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | |