







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 | |
|---|---|
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |
| Do you have any area in mind? | |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | |
| We all love bank holidays. | |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | |
| I've experienced how difficult and expensive it can be. | |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | |
| Set times always stress me out. | |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | |
| Yes, I think she's great! | |
| I think the price is very cheap. | |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | |