







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 don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | |
| But for how many people? | |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | |
| Girls, this is Diego. | |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | |
| Who is Mike, darling? | |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | |