







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 | |
|---|---|
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | |
| It's about a web project. | |
| Yes, that's the one. | |
| They're there, under the duvet. | |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | |
| Set times always stress me out. | |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | |
| Girls, this is Diego. | |