







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | |
| I'm a web designer. | |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | |
| Oh, I think I know them. | |
| I'm an English teacher. | |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | |
| Are you serious? | |