







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | |
| There is no table for you, then! | |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | |
| How is there four of us? | |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | |
| Do you want me to call them? | |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | |
| Why? What's wrong? | |