







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 | |
|---|---|
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | |
| Yeah, I guess normally you go to work around 06:30. | |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | |
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | |
| Do you want to bet on it? | |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | |
| I think we need to put some of your clothes away. | |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | |