







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 | |
|---|---|
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Claro, hay 4 mujeres, todas estudiantes universitarias de Alemania. |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | ¡Quiero que revise las calefacciones de las habitaciones mientras está aquí! |
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | ¿Porque los conocemos y tenemos sus números telefónicos? |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Bueno, me estoy acostumbrando a recibir malas noticias hoy, ¿qué pasó? |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh dios, ahora me siento demasiado cansada. |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | ¿Cómo van las cosas, va todo bien? |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | ¿Qué más podía hacer? ¿Esperas que no duerma hasta que me muera? |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Pasen, aquí en la planta baja, tenemos dos habitaciones... |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | ¡Claro! ¿Por qué es tan importante para ti? |
| Is your father sick? | ¿Tu padre está enfermo? |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | En primer lugar, es tan triste ver a tu mascota adolorida. |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Sí, está bien que ya estamos a punto de irnos. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Por cierto, el depósito es de £3,000 y no es negociable... |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Hola chicos, tú debes ser Cate, yo soy Joseph. |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | Y Pogo se asusta mucho con las multitudes y con el ruido. |
| Isn't that funny? | ¿No es gracioso? |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | Y en estos días voy a ese pub bastante a menudo. |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | ¡Parece que está interesado en ti! |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Exactamente, ¡odio que me despierten en medio de la noche! |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Yo vivo justo enfrente del pub. |