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 | |
---|---|
How old are you? | |
Yes, of course I remember. | |
Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | |
Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | |
Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |
I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | |
Really? How do I wake you up? | |
Who is Mike, darling? | |
Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | |
That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | |
No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
Yes, I have got two sisters. | |
There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | |
I'm really sorry about that! | |
It makes all of our clothes stink! | |
Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |
You are absolutely right! | |
The packets have 2 pieces in them. | |
I don't need to wake up very early. | |
Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. |