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 agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Sono d’accordo, i voli lunghi non sono molto piacevoli. |
My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mio marito ed io lo apprezziamo molto. |
That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Sarebbe fantastico! Pensi sia possibile? |
I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Non penso sia possibile trovare delle altre variazioni. |
That's why they're 50% off. | Ecco perché sono al 50% di sconto. |
That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | Esatto, penso che anche le pentole a pressione siano molto pericolose! |
So it comes to 2,800 a month! | Quindi sarebbero 2800 al mese! |
This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Questo è il mio ragazzo, Mike. |
He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | Si è appena trasferito da Brighton e vive qui vicino. |
Do you have any area in mind? | Hai in mente delle zone? |
We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Non abbiamo ancora quel sistema a Brighton. |
How many people live in this house? | Quante persone vivono in questa casa? |
How often do you have free time, then? | E quanto spesso hai del tempo libero allora? |
Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | In realtà, è molto urgente per me. |
Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Mi scusi signora Jones, c’è stato un malinteso… |
Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | Sì l’ho fatto, perché, non è normale? |
Which website do you use? | Quale sito web usi? |
Is that what you want me to do? | È quello che vuoi che faccia? |
Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Umm… Noi siamo sposati… Voglio dire, oggi è il nostro anniversario di matrimonio! |
Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Ehi, l’cqua sta bollendo, vuoi che la versi in una pentola? |