







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 | |
|---|---|
| There are some vending machines in the station. | |
| How do you want me to chop the onions, big or small? | |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | |
| Is it a single or a double room? | |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | |
| What kind of trick is that? | |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | |
| That's very interesting! | |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | |
| Maybe I know your friend. | |
| Are you serious? | |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | |