







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 | |
|---|---|
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | 그 여자 어머니일 수도 있는 거고... 혹시 모르잖아? |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360도면 될 거야. |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | 음... 이미 손을 버린 김에... |
| Yes, he is one of them. | 응, 그 일 해. |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | 네, 저는 맥주로 하죠. 케이트 너는 와인으로 하려나? |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | 사발하고 막자 있어? |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | 빠른 건 맞는데, 지하철 역까지 걷기 싫어. |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | 노래 좋다, 음악이랑 가사가 마음에 들어. |
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | 응, 옮기고 싶어하는 마음이 있는데... |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | 잘은 모르지만, 100년은 넘었다고 생각해. |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | 네, 남의 집 문을 두들기기에는 좀 이른 시간 같은데요! |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | 하지만 그 다음엔 구웠으면 해. |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | 어, 근데 말이지, 말 나온 김에 말인데... |
| Maybe I know your friend. | 내가 그쪽 친구 알지도 모르죠. |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | 그건 빌리는 게 아니라, 훔치는 거지! |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | 그래서 도중에 경유를 해야 돼. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | 그리고 보증금은 3000파운드이고, 에누리는 없어요. |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | 이게 마지막 건데, 애석하게도 구멍이 나 있군. |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | 안녕하세요, 제 이름은 마이크고요, 케이트의 남자친구... |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | 안녕, 케이트, 미안한데 샤르도네 남은 게 없대. |