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? | |
They are both okay for me. | |
Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | |
Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | |
But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | |
We all love bank holidays. | |
To me, wasting it is weirder! | |
Hello madam, are you still on the line? | |
I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | |
What do you think about him, Cate? | |
What kind of trick is that? | |
The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | |
It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | |
Bear hates being at a vet, too. | |
I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | |
Isn't it faster taking the tube? | |
I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | |
Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | |
Thank god there is nothing to worry about. |