







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 | |
|---|---|
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | |
| Hi there, are you ready? | |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | |
| Is it a single or a double room? | |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | |