







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | |
| There is no table for you, then! | |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | |
| Does anyone else need anything? | |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | |