







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 don't have time to cook everyday. | |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | |
| Why? What's wrong? | |
| Are you serious? | |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | |
| Hey, before you go... | |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | |
| Okay, if you say so, I trust you! | |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | |