







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 | |
|---|---|
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | |
| Why is that? | |
| That's why you have a headache now! | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | |
| Do you like train rides, too? | |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | |
| I only have 3 hours today. | |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | |
| Oh, I think I know them. | |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | |
| We all love bank holidays. | |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | |