







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 | |
|---|---|
| I need to wake him up now! | 이제 가서 깨워야겠다! |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | 미안하지만, 여기선 감자튀김 안 팔아... |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | 어머, 그런 제안 해줘서 고마워. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | 네, 좋은 소식 기다리고 있어요. |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | 베어는 고양이하고는 잘 지내는데 개하고는 전혀 아냐. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | 안녕, 그쪽 고양이는 괜찮아요? |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | 아 진짜, 마이크, 집에 있고 없고의 문제가 아니잖아. |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | 네, 포장은 찢어졌지만 유통기한은 지나지 않았네요. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | 안녕하세요 부인, 아직 계신가요? |
| Is your father sick? | 아버지가 아프셔? |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | 한 뭉치면 되겠어? |
| It's always the same. | 꼭 이런 식이야. |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | 포크 두 개면 충분하지 않아? |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | 흠, 좀 고전이긴 하지만, 그래도 내가 제일 좋아하는 작품은. |
| What's the date today? | 오늘이 며칠이지? |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | 저런, 안됐어요, 감기에 걸린 거예요? |
| I'm really sorry about that! | 정말 미안해! |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | 그... 저희가 부부라서... 그러니까, 오늘이 저희 결혼 기념일이거든요! |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | 괜찮아, 다들 맨날 내 거 쓰는데 뭐. |
| Why? What's wrong? | 왜? 뭐 잘못 됐어? |