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 | |
---|---|
Do you like them with or without the skin on? | |
No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | |
You need to press the button down and turn it right. | |
So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | |
Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | |
What kind of trick is that? | |
Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | |
I hope he gets well soon. | |
I don't need to wake up very early. | |
Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | |
No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | |
Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | |
I don't want you to spend a fortune. | |
The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | |
What else do we need? | |
I feel hungry, too. | |
I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | |
Hello my friend, how are you? | |
Do you want the tray in the middle? | |
I'm not really in the mood to join them. |