







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 | |
|---|---|
| Dear, who is it? | |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | |
| What’s their name? | |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | |
| I've checked some, there is nothing I like so far. | |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | |
| Yes, that's the one. | |