







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |
| We all love bank holidays. | |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | |
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | |
| Do you know how to use them? | |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | |
| That's where Diego works, too! | |