







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 | |
|---|---|
| Aren't there four of us dear? | |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | |
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | |
| No worries, I am not together with Mike. | |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | |
| So I don't snore everyday... | |
| Is that okay for you? | |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | |
| I really don't want to see her again! | |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | |
| Do you live in this house, too? | |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | |
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | |