







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, he is one of them. | |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | |
| No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | |
| We all love bank holidays. | |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | |
| Why? What's wrong? | |