







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 | |
|---|---|
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | 너 조금 슬퍼보이는데, 괜찮아? |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | 안녕 친구, 어떻게 지내셨나? |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | 제가 제일 좋아하는 레스토랑인데... |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | 유통기한이 지나려면 아직 1년이 남았어요. |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | 아침 7시 반에 왜 왔는지 설명하던 중이었죠. |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | 음, 난 팝이나 락, 펑크가 좋아. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | 이쪽은 제 남자친구, 마이크예요. |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | 크게 할 건 없어, 그냥 자잘한 거 몇 개 하면 돼. |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | 아 응, 오늘 여자들끼리 놀러 나온 거야. |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | 음, 내 건 없는데, 남의 빵은 있지. |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | 우리 아빠는 영국인이고 엄마가 호주인이야. |
| Why is that? | 그건 왜 그런데? |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | 밤 새도록 귓가에 앵앵거리면서 날 못 자도록 하는 게 딱 질색이야. |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | 한 뭉치면 되겠어? |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | 호주는 관세규칙이 정말 빡빡하단 말야. |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | 그 고양이는 내게 아니에요, 내 여자친구 고양이죠. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | 어머니께서 혼자 이겨내실 수 있으셔? |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | 뭐든지 계산대에서 달면 돼. |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | 실감이 정말 넘쳐나, 자기, 결혼 반지는 어디 있어? |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | 마빈 게이야, 60년대 노래. 근데 이건 리믹스고. |