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 | |
---|---|
Do we have to do that every time we need to open the door? | |
I don't like going to hospitals, either. | |
Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | |
Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | |
It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | |
It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | |
I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | |
I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | |
360 degrees should be good. | |
Do you know her well? | |
As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | |
Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | |
Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | |
Do you have any area in mind? | |
That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | |
Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | |
Is there anything else you want me to do? | |
Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | |
Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | |
Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? |