







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'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | |
| How much rice do you need? | |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | |