







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | ¡Hey, Cate! ¿Necesitas algo? |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Casa independiente de 5 habitaciones en calle Lyme, £2800, ¿es correcto? |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Sí, a mí me gusta tomar lasaña el día después de hacerla, sabe mejor. |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Lo siento, no sirven papas fritas aquí... |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | ¡Tus champiñones con forma perfecta están listos! |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | Oh, ¡es bastante dinero! |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Quiero decir que no vives aquí con nadie de tu familia. |
| But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | ¡Pero en el anuncio dice que la casa está completamente equipada! |
| What line is it on? | ¿En qué línea está? |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Sí, es un país bastante grande, más como un continente. |
| You are lucky! | ¡Tienes suerte! |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Bear odia estar en un veterinario también. |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | Por lo que sé, los Chows no se llevan bien con otros animales. |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Hasta podía haber sido su mamá... ¿Quién sabe? |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | ¿Es Plaza Leicester o Piccadilly Circus? |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | No, no es mía, creo que pertenece a la casa. |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | ¿Un curso de un año? ¿Qué clase de curso es ese? |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Hola amigo mío, ¿cómo estás? |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Vamos, Mike, no es cuestión de si estoy o no en la casa. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Sí, me también me gustan. |