







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 | |
|---|---|
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | 들어와요, 여기 1층에는 침실이 두 개 있고... |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | 치즈도 좀 있는데 곰팡이가 살짝 폈더라고. |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | 그래서 포고는 개하고 잘 지내. |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | 그건 싱글룸인데, 나는 더블이면 좋겠어서. |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | 그런 극단적인 요구가 있나, 사발하고 막자는 없을 텐데. |
| Yes, of course I remember. | 아, 당연히 기억하지. |
| How often do you have free time, then? | 시간은 얼마나 자주 나는데요? |
| I prefer red onions. | 나는 적양파가 좋아. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | 응, 그것도 좋아하지. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | 포고는 제 반려묘예요, 뭔가 문제라도 있나요? |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | 아 알겠어, 그럼 비슷한 걸로 하지 뭐! |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | 첫번째는 설거지야, 청소야? |
| It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | 달라지는 건 없어도 자꾸 말하면 스트레스 받는다고! |
| Yeah, you are right, it's more useful when you have less things. | 그렇네, 네 말이 맞아. 물건이 적을 때 더 유용하지. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | 포고가 정원에 가고 싶은 모양인데. |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | 순간이동이 발명되는 날 가보면 좋겠다. |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | 안 물어줘도 될 거 같아. |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | 어쩌면 안전 문제 때문에 셰어하우스에서는 전기 스토브를 선호할지도 모르겠어. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | 베어한테 아파트는 좋은 생각이 아냐, 안뜰이 없잖아. |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | 공휴일을 왜 뱅크 홀리데이라고 부르는지 모르겠어. |