







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 | |
|---|---|
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | |
| Do you want to bet on it? | |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | |
| Then people come and complain to me! | |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | |