







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Claro, nossa cozinha foi mobilada recentemente... |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Eu não acho normal, você acha que é normal? |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | A outra custa 3000, mas inclui todas as contas. |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Ele também quer aumentar nosso aluguel em 50%! |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Não estou com vontade de me juntar a eles. |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | Hã, ela é a gerente de marketing da empresa. |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Claro! Por que é tão importante para você? |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Sério? Isso não é bom. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Sério? Como é que eu acordo você? |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Ainda falta um 1 para ultrapassar o prazo de validade. |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Há um às 11:00 e o próximo é às 11:20. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Tanto faz, acho que ficam à mesma distância. |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Como vão as coisas, está tudo bem? |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Beijos, eu ligo quando chegar! |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Isso seria ótimo! Você acha que é possível? |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | O gato de quem?... Você quer dizer o meu gato? |
| Set times always stress me out. | Definir horas sempre me estressou. |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Sabe, normalmente tenho aulas muito cedo. |
| Is that what you want me to do? | É isso que você quer que eu faça? |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Quer que eu coloque o frango na panela primeiro? |