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 | |
---|---|
Where are you? | ¿Dónde estás? |
Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Sip, ella nació en Australia, pero su madre es japonesa. |
I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | ¡No puedo imaginarme estando en un avión durante tanto tiempo! |
So, I guess you are from Australia. | Bueno, supongo que eres de Australia. |
What does Diego do? | ¿Qué hace Diego? |
That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Por eso la renta es mucho más baja que el promedio. |
Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Umm, Dick está aquí, querida, él es el casero... |
I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | Creo que también, ¡pero tengo un dolor de cabeza terrible! |
I don't know, maximum 33? | No sé, ¿máximo 33? |
But it's my favourite restaurant... | Pero es mi restaurante favorito... |
I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | No creo que sea posible encontrar más variaciones. |
And sometimes they don't come home for days. | Y a veces no vienen a casa en días. |
I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | Saqué a Bear y estoy a punto de marcharme. |
He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | Es un plomero, querida, aparentemente está tupido. |
They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | Por lo general no trabajan después de las diez. |
How do you get to Brighton? | ¿Cómo llegas a Brighton? |
Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | ¿Por qué? ¡Nunca escribo signos de interrogación cuando busco algo! |
But their room is almost double the size of our room! | ¡Pero su habitación es casi el doble de tamaño de la nuestra! |
And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | Y Pogo se asusta mucho con las multitudes y con el ruido. |
Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | De acuerdo, tal vez es mejor que te vayas a descansar. |