







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 | |
|---|---|
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |
| I know, I thought you might like to have it with her alone. | |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | |
| No, I don't have one! | |
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | |
| Depends on where you look. | |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | |
| I'm a web designer. | |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | |
| That's why they're 50% off. | |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | |