







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 | |
|---|---|
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | 근데 유통기한이 지났고 구멍이 나 있어요. |
| Do you live around here? | 이 주변 살아요? |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | 걱정 말래두 마이크, 스트레스 받았을 때만 그런다니까. |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | 오픈 때 못 찾아와서 미안해. |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | 안녕하세요, 부러진 것 같진 않은데. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | 그럼 지금 전화할게, 또 뭐 필요한 거 있어? |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | 레스토랑 앞에서 8시 반쯤에 만날 수 있을 거 같은데, 너무 늦어? |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | 음... 이미 손을 버린 김에... |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | 그래요, 물은 꽉 채워서 받으면 안돼요, 안 그러면 아래층으로 물이 새니까. |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | 요컨대, 기다리던 버스는 절대 안 오지. |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | 착하다 베어! 보렴, 그냥 작은 친구야. |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | 여자한테 그런 말은 상처가 된다구... |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | 학교에 친구들하고 종종 나오거든. |
| No, what is that? | 뭔데? |
| Yeah, you are right, it's more useful when you have less things. | 그렇네, 네 말이 맞아. 물건이 적을 때 더 유용하지. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | 상관 없는 거 같아, 둘다 거리가 비슷비슷할걸. |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | 그래, 흔치는 않지만, 레시피가 그렇게 말하는 걸. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | 배터리에 뭔가 문제 있는 거 아냐? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | 그 고양이는 내게 아니에요, 내 여자친구 고양이죠. |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | 어느 버튼? 뭐가 뭘 조절하는지 안 나와있는데! |