







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's too fruity. | |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | |
| I'm an English teacher. | |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | |