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 | |
---|---|
What do you do? | |
Well, that's another problem! | |
They weigh everything at the checkout. | |
That's why they're 50% off. | |
I have no idea what arborio rice is! | |
Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | |
I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | |
Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | |
So it comes to 2,800 a month! | |
Yeah, that's a good idea! | |
Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | |
But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | |
Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | |
I hope your friends don't mind. | |
That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | |
Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | |
Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | |
Really? How do I wake you up? | |
No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | |
Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. |