







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. | 我同意,长途飞行令人不怎么舒服。 |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | 呃...它不在那里吗? |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | 一年回去一次以上对我非常困难。 |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | 你期望我把墙推倒使房间更大一些吗? |
| There is no table for you, then! | 那你就没有桌子喽! |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | 等下,有另外一个网页说... |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | 我不相信你!今天有什么区别? |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | 我的姐姐们住在附近,她们有时候会帮她。 |
| Are you close friends? | 你们是密友吗? |
| So I don't snore everyday... | 所以我不是每天都打... |
| Is it really on the menu? | 那个菜单上真的有吗? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | 所有你是想让我自己去找房子了? |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | 打扰了,我要去洗澡了。 |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | 是的,那是相当大的一个国家,更像一个大洲。 |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | 小孩认为自己是个机器人,还是机器人认为自己是个小孩? |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | 是的,包装袋被撕破了,但是它没有过期。 |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | 是的,我有两个姐妹。 |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | 你知道有的人不喜欢把广告放到网站。 |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | 他怎么敢... 他太愚蠢了!!! |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | 不管怎样,这是凯特和她工作上的朋友。 |