







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, I like them, too. | 응, 그것도 좋아하지. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | 좋아, 얼마나 긴지 혹시 알아? |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | 지하철이 더 빠르지 않아? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | 그리고 무게도 직접 다 재야 되고, 뭐 그렇잖아. |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | 아니, 오이스터 카드는 런던 내 이동에만 쓰여. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | 네, 사실 꽤 쉬웠어요. 저는 바로 근처에 살거든요. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | 아이고, 이제 너무 피곤해. |
| What’s their name? | 친구 이름이 뭐예요? |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | 오픈 때 못 찾아와서 미안해. |
| It sounds important. | 중요한가 보네. |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | 네, 저는 맥주로 하죠. 케이트 너는 와인으로 하려나? |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | 아무튼, 이쪽은 케이트랑 직장 동료분들. |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | 베어도 동물병원 오는 걸 싫어하는데. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | 그리고 둘째로, 동물병원 너무 비싸! |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | 고마워요, 나는 26살이니까. |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | 축하드립니다... 그런데, 포고는 애완동물 이름인가요? |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | 남편도 저도 정말 감사한 마음이에요. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | 포고는 제 반려묘예요, 뭔가 문제라도 있나요? |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | 근데 유통기한이 지났고 구멍이 나 있어요. |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | 아, 미안! 너 뭘 씻고 하는 거 싫어하지, 내가 할게. |