







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 | |
|---|---|
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | |
| Set times always stress me out. | |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | |
| Her name is Ayumi! | |
| What's your plan, Cate? | |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | |
| Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | |
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | |