







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 | |
|---|---|
| What's up? Is everything okay? | |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | |
| Is that what you want me to do? | |