







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 | |
|---|---|
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | |
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | |
| I'm really sorry about that! | |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | |
| But for how many people? | |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | |