







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | |
| Which website do you use? | |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | |
| Does anyone else need anything? | |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | |
| Okay, who sings it? | |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | |
| Ta-ta here it is... | |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | |
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |