







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 | |
|---|---|
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | 음... 이미 손을 버린 김에... |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | 보자, 버터만 더 있으면 돼. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | 내 생각에는 기껏 생긴 걸 버리는 게 더 이상해! |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | 그래서 지금 요리할 수 있는만큼 최대한 해두려고. |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | 케이트, 괜찮아? 좀 날카로워 보인다. |
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | 늦게까지는 아니고, 수업이 12:30에 시작하거든. |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | 그 여자 어머니일 수도 있는 거고... 혹시 모르잖아? |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | 우리 아빠는 영국인이고 엄마가 호주인이야. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | 호주는 관세규칙이 정말 빡빡하단 말야. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | 환영식 비슷하게 하는 거야. |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | 난 침대에서 뭘하면 좋을지 더 좋은 생각이 났는데! |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | 이제야 말해 줘서 고마워, 정말 도움이 되네! |
| Yes, I think she's great! | 네, 되게 잘 하신다고 봐요! |
| Yeah, I've got it! | 응, 찾았어! |
| Do you like red or white onions? | 적양파가 좋아, 흰 양파가 좋아? |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | 미안, 말해주는 걸 깜빡했어. 수도꼭지를 정말 살살 틀어야 돼. |
| How is your cat? | 고양이는 좀 어때? |
| What else do we need? | 또 뭐가 필요하지? |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | 순간이동이 발명되는 날 가보면 좋겠다. |
| Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | 흠, 일주일에 어림잡아 150파운드니까, 거의 같네. |