







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 | |
|---|---|
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | |
| It's too fruity. | |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | |
| Yes, of course I remember. | |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | |
| How old do I look? | |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | |