







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | 트레이는 중간에 둘래? |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | 레시피에는 600g이래. |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | 안녕 마이크, 별 건 아니고, 어떻게 지내? |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | 다른 사람들이 내가 담배 핀다고 불평한단 말야. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | 이 집에선 더 이상 있고 싶지 않아! |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | 나는 흡연자라서 바깥을 선호하긴 해. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | 해야 돼. 12시 반까지 가야 해. |
| Do you remember me? | 나 기억해? |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | 살 만한 곳을 찾을 때까지 나랑 같이 지내면 되지. |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | 한 뭉치면 되겠어? |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | 그래? 몰라... 뭘 깜빡했지? |
| They are both okay for me. | 둘다 나는 상관없어. |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | 미안하지만 이 건물에는 애완동물은 들일 수 없어요! |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | 윗층에 한 층은 비어있는 것 같아. |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | 여기 가져가. 조심하고, 뜨거우니까. |
| That's a very interesting combination. | 되게 재밌는 조합이네. |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | 응, 엄청 인기있는 레스토랑이니까. |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | 영어 선생님은 어떻게 생겼다고 생각하길래요? |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | 하지만 서둘러야 돼, 별로 시간이 없어서. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | 글쎄, 어쩌면 조금은! |