







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 | |
|---|---|
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | |
| Hey, before you go... | |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | |
| I don't want to live in the suburbs! | |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | |
| Do you have any area in mind? | |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | |
| His name's Sergio. | |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | |
| It's got some water marks on it! | |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | |
| Is that right? | |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | |
| It's £135 per week! | |
| You don't know the story behind it. | |
| Ta-ta here it is... | |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | |