







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 | |
|---|---|
| I am 24. | |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | |
| Until you just light your cigarette. | |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | |
| Do you have their number? | |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | |
| You are lucky! | |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | |