







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 on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | 하지만 광고에는 완전히 가구가 갖춰져 있다고 돼있던데요! |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | 우리 집주인 게이 커플이야. |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | 브라이튼에는 아직 그 시스템이 없어서. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | 맞아, 그리고 압력솥도 꽤 위험하다고 생각해! |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | 런던에 친척은 없어? |
| It's almost 09:30. | 거의 9시 반 다 됐어. |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | 지하철이 더 빠르지 않아? |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | 글쎄, 그냥 취미로 여기고 있긴 한데. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | 음, 아 맞아요, 이제 보이네요. 광고 번호는 9845예요... |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | 이쪽은 제 남자친구, 마이크예요. |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | 안녕 마이크, 별 건 아니고, 어떻게 지내? |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | 다 괜찮아, 이제 3개월 남았지. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | 하긴, 봄철이 알레르기에 끔찍하긴 하죠! |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | 난 소비뇽 블랑 한 번 마셔보고 싶어. |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | 제가 제일 좋아하는 레스토랑인데... |
| Okay, who sings it? | 좋아, 누가 부르는데? |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | 네, 포장은 찢어졌지만 유통기한은 지나지 않았네요. |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | 괜찮아, 다들 맨날 내 거 쓰는데 뭐. |
| But I think that's only for older women. | 그건 나이가 있으신 여성분들 경우라고 생각하니까. |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | 그래, 근데 방은 네모 모양이고 주요 가구라고는 4개밖에 없잖아. |