







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Ti aspetti che faccia diventare la stanza più grande spingendo i muri? |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | So cucinare, naturalmente, ma solo quando mi va. |
| You are absolutely right! | Hai assolutamente ragione! |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Sissignore, potete sedervi a questo tavolo. |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | I miei padroni di casa sono una coppia gay. |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Aspetta, ricordo che tu mi hai detto che non lucidi ma gli animali! |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Va bene, abbiamo ancora 3 mesi. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartamento non è una buona idea per Bear, non ha un giardino. |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | Suppongo che il tempo per te non passi mai quando sono via. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hai dei fratelli o sorelle? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Non penso sia normale, tu pensi sia normale? |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Sì, sono qui che aspetto la buona notizia. |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Dice consumarsi preferibilmente entro il 25 febbraio. |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Stasera siamo usciti per Laura. |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ehm, a proposito, dato che siamo sull’argomento… |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | È una cosa molto triste, quanti anni hanno i tuoi genitori? |
| It's £135 per week! | £ 135 a settimana! |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | C’è un’intera confezione da 500 g chiusa. |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Perché altre persone si lamentano che io fumo lì. |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Questo tipo di persone irresponsabili mi fanno arrabbiare! |