







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 | |
|---|---|
| So does that mean you don't want to stay with me? | |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | |