







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 | |
|---|---|
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | No te preocupes Mike, como he dicho, solo lo hace cuando está estresado. |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Sí, ¡nuestra habitación sólo tiene una ventana! |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Creo que 4000 libras es bastante. |
| Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | ¿Por qué? ¡Nunca escribo signos de interrogación cuando busco algo! |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Mi alquiler es mensual, pago £600 al mes. |
| It's about a web project. | Se trata de un proyecto web. |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | Mis compañeros de piso no limpian nada en la cocina. |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | ¿Eres el único fumador en la casa? |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Exacto, una de ellas está pidiendo 3,500, la otra pide 3,000... |
| Do you know how to use them? | ¿Sabes cómo usarla? |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | Y en estos días voy a ese pub bastante a menudo. |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | ¡Gracias por avisarme ahora, es muy útil! |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | No, no lo haré... ¡Ya no quiero una casa en Mayfair! |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Hola Mike, no mucho, ¿cómo estás? |
| When I have free time. | Cuando tengo tiempo libre. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Sí, quiero ver el baño... |
| I live very close by. | Vivo muy cerca. |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Así que, es obvio que no tienes idea de cuánto cuesta rentar una casa. |
| Okay, that's fine. | Está bien, está bien. |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, ¿quieres que te traiga algo de comer? |