







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 am 24. | |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | |
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | |
| Erm... You look about 30? | |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | |
| Do you remember me? | |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | |
| How often do you have free time, then? | |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | |