







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 | |
|---|---|
| Huh, it's quite good money! | 어머, 그건 꽤 액수가 큰데! |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | 멋있네... 아직 십대인 건 아니겠지! 몇 살인데? |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | 버튼을 아래로 누르고 오른쪽으로 돌려야해. |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | 회의가 중요한 게 아냐! |
| No, I don't have one! | 아뇨, 없어요! |
| They are both okay for me. | 둘다 나는 상관없어. |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | 나는 친구 올 때까지 혼자인데. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | 훨씬 적은 게 아니라... 미묘한 차이일 뿐이에요! |
| You are absolutely right! | 지당하신 말씀! |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | 엄청 일찍 일어날 필요는 없는데. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | 그럼요, 제 이름은 케이트고 번호는 077... |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | 브라이튼에는 아직 그 시스템이 없어서. |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | 아침 먹으러 돌아오는 길에 내가 데려올 수 있어. |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | 우리 하우스메이트들은 부엌에 있는 건 아무것도 안 치운다구. |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | 그건 빌리는 게 아니라, 훔치는 거지! |
| How do you get to Brighton? | 브라이튼까지는 어떻게 갈 거야? |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | 좋네요, 찬장도 좋아보이고, 식탁도 괜찮고... |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | 너는 어떤 음악 제일 좋아해? |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | 영어 선생님은 어떻게 생겼다고 생각하길래요? |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | 배관수리공이셔, 변기가 막혔대나봐. |