







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 need to wake him up now! | |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | |
| I usually take the train. | |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | |
| We are back, where is Bear? | |
| Okay, so what's our plan now? | |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | |
| Yeah, you are right, it's more useful when you have less things. | |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | |