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 | |
---|---|
It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | 不是给我喝的,是做米饭用的,亲爱的! |
Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | 呃,这层楼上只有我和隔壁的一个法国女孩。 |
No worries, I am not together with Mike. | 别担心,我没有跟迈克在一起。 |
I've got a meeting with some people. | 我要见几个人。 |
I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | 我不想在这个房子里讨论这件事。 |
It's £135 per week! | 每周£135! |
Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | 嗯,哦是的,我现在看到了,广告号是9845... |
I see, I love cooking! | 明白,我爱烧菜! |
I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | 我不知道... 但是我希望他有一个好理由! |
I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | 我终于完成了,明天是个大日子! |
I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | 我不知道,我希望这对它来说不是大问题。 |
Yeah, that's a good idea! | 是的,这是个好主意! |
Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | 是的,那是相当大的一个国家,更像一个大洲。 |
It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | 双人间,而且我们每周请一次清洁工。 |
It's almost 09:30. | 快09:30了。 |
I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | 我希望她不是问题青年,那么... |
Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | 好啦,不要哭,她只是一个蠢女孩! |
Are you serious? | 你是认真的吗? |
Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | 大家好,能不能少制造点噪音呢? |
Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | 对不起,我忘记告诉你了,你需要轻轻地打开水龙头。 |