







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 | |
|---|---|
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | |
| Hello mate, where are you? | |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | |
| Oh really? That's not good. | |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | |