







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 don't want you to spend a fortune. | |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | |
| Do you like red or white onions? | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| How long does the flight usually take? | |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | |
| Do you know how to use them? | |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |
| How much garlic do you want? | |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | |
| Maybe I know your friend. | |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | |