







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 | |
|---|---|
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | 응, 서로한테 공격적으로 굴지는 않는 것 같아. |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | 형제자매는 없어? |
| My laptop is in it. | 안에 내 노트북 있어. |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | 지하철이 더 빠르지 않아? |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | 어느 버튼? 뭐가 뭘 조절하는지 안 나와있는데! |
| Why is that rice so special? | 그 쌀이 뭐가 그렇게 특별해? |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | 응, 딱 중앙에 피카딜리 서커스에 있어. |
| Is that you, Mike? | 마이크야? |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | 축하드립니다... 그런데, 포고는 애완동물 이름인가요? |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | 감사합니다, 토요일 오후 1시에 뵐게요. |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | 왜? 이만하면 깨끗해 보이는데! |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | 11시에 하나 있고, 그 다음 건 12시 차야. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | 배관수리공이셔, 변기가 막혔대나봐. |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | 런던에 친척은 없어? |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | 그건 맞지만, 네 억양은 그렇게 세진 않아. |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | 보통 화면 우측 상단에 있어요. |
| That's very interesting! | 그건 신기한데요! |
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | 아니, 러시아에서 대학 다녀. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | 내가 어느 옷들 치우면 될지 먼저 알려줄 수 있어? |
| It's almost 09:30. | 거의 9시 반 다 됐어. |