







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 | |
|---|---|
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | |
| I really don't want to see her again! | |
| Isn't that funny? | |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | |
| It's about a web project. | |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | |
| Are you serious? | |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | |