







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 is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | |
| I see, I love cooking! | |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | |
| But for how many people? | |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | |
| Oh, sorry, I also need a grater for the cheese. | |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |