







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | |
| Which website do you use? | |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | |
| Is that right? | |
| Is that okay for you? | |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | |