







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | |
| It's always the same. | |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | |
| Is that what you want me to do? | |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | |
| That's a very interesting combination. | |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | |