







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 | |
|---|---|
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Puedo cocinar, por supuesto, pero solo cuando me apetece. |
| Are you close friends? | ¿Son amigos cercanos? |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalmente es mucho más caro que los demás. |
| You are very funny mate. | Eres muy divertido, colega. |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | La verdad es que los veo mucho donde trabajo. |
| How do you want me to chop the onions, big or small? | ¿Cómo quieres que pique las cebollas, grandes o pequeñas? |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Casa independiente de 5 habitaciones en calle Lyme, £2800, ¿es correcto? |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | Sí, definitivamente no le gusta cambiar de lugar. |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Tampoco la he visto, y en verdad no quiero hacerlo... |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Por cierto, el depósito es de £3,000 y no es negociable... |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | Por cierto, me llamo Mike, ¿cómo te llamas? |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | Pesan todo en la caja. |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | ¡Bien! ¿Quién quiere Chardonnay entonces? |
| 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. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | En fin, solo tienes 10 días más para salirte de esa casa. |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Mis hermanas viven cerca, la ayudan a veces. |
| It sounds important. | Suena importante. |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | No entiendo por qué lo llaman feriado bancario. |
| Because you are in it. | Que tú estás en ella. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | No lo sabía, espero que no sea un gran problema para él. |