







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 | |
|---|---|
| Let me check, we only need butter. | |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | |
| How long does the flight usually take? | |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | |
| Yeah, I've got it! | |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | |
| It's always the same. | |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | |