







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 | |
|---|---|
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | 그래, 좋았어! 그럼 지금부터 생각할 시간 사흘 줄게! |
| But I don't know him well. | 잘 아는 사이는 아니네. |
| That's a good question! | 좋은 질문이야! |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | 맞아, 하나는 3500, 다른 하나는 3000을 내라고 하네... |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | 엄, 계산은 안되지만, 150년이 넘는 것 같은데. |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | 안녕하세요, 그쪽이 케이트예요? |
| I think the price is very cheap. | 되게 싼 것 같아. |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | 아 진짜, 마이크, 집에 있고 없고의 문제가 아니잖아. |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | 모기는 빼고. 잠자는 시간을 망쳐놓으니까. |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | 우리 하우스메이트들은 부엌에 있는 건 아무것도 안 치운다구. |
| Do you have any area in mind? | 너는 생각하고 있는 구역이 있어? |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | 잠깐만, 너 동물은 절대 안 죽인다고 말했던 게 기억나는데! |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | 베이컨에 달걀 그리고 올리브 조금이면 충분해. |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | 그러니까, 집 구하려면 얼마나 돈을 내야 하는지 네가 전혀 감이 없다는 게 드러났네. |
| It's always the same. | 꼭 이런 식이야. |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | 매일 요리할 시간이 없어. |
| Does anyone else need anything? | 다른 거 또 필요한 사람? |
| I hope it’s not serious. | 별 일 아니면 좋겠는데. |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | 그래? 몰라... 뭘 깜빡했지? |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | 그럼 그 집으로 하지 그래요? 위층은 볼 거예요 말 거예요? |