







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 | |
|---|---|
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | 좋아, 얼마나 긴지 혹시 알아? |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | 응, 괜찮아, 이제 막 뜨려던 참이었어. |
| That's where Diego works, too! | 디에고도 거기서 일하는데! |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | 첫번째는 설거지야, 청소야? |
| I'm happy to hear that. | 좋은 소식이네. |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | 반은 일본인이고 반은 호주인인 거지. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | 그러니까 50%를 깎았지. |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | 베이컨에 달걀 그리고 올리브 조금이면 충분해. |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | 그럼 마늘 분쇄기는 없어? |
| What does Diego do? | 디에고는 무슨 일 해? |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | 500g짜리 열지도 않은 통이 있어. |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | 아빠는 70이고, 엄마는 64이야. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | 음, 아 맞아요, 이제 보이네요. 광고 번호는 9845예요... |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | 그래, 말은 들리는데, 이해가 안돼! |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | 그리고 이제 버섯이 엄청 남았네. |
| What's wrong with him? | 걔는 어디가 아픈 거예요? |
| Ta-ta here it is... | 짜잔, 여기 있지... |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | 그리고 무게도 직접 다 재야 되고, 뭐 그렇잖아. |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | 그러다 자기가 진짜 아이가 아니라 로봇이라는 걸 깨달은 거야. |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | 그래요, 물은 꽉 채워서 받으면 안돼요, 안 그러면 아래층으로 물이 새니까. |