







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 | |
|---|---|
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | |
| Do you have a cigarette? | |
| Okay, we have all the things we need, then. | |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | |
| My laptop is in it. | |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | |
| So I don't snore everyday... | |