







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 | |
|---|---|
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | |
| Is it because it's too violent? | |
| Yeah, I've got it! | |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | |
| They are both okay for me. | |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| He is a Chow Chow. | |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | |