







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 alone till my friend comes. | Estoy solo hasta que mi amigo llegue. |
| I feel hungry, too. | Tengo hambre también. |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Sí, va a volver, ¿pero no es lo que hago siempre? |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Vamos, Mike, no es cuestión de si estoy o no en la casa. |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | No, no necesito despertarme muy temprano. |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Nos vemos a Mike, espero verte de nuevo. |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | No, como he dicho antes, viven en Australia. |
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Él quiere, pero esta noche es imposible. |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | ¡Gracias por avisarme ahora, es muy útil! |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | ¿Dónde está Flora, no está aquí? |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Hola, ¿eres Cate? |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Por desgracia, ¡no tengo uno! ¿Dónde está el tuyo? |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | ¡No, porque está loca y puede hacerle daño a Pogo o a Bear! |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | Y en la planta baja tenemos fácil acceso al jardín. |
| It's £135 per week! | ¡£135 a la semana! |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | ¿Por qué? ¡A mí me parece que está bastante limpio! |
| Do you have another one? | ¿Tienes otro? |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | ¿Qué más podía hacer? ¿Esperas que no duerma hasta que me muera? |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | ¡Muy bueno! ¡Espero que no lo haga todo el tiempo! |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Oh, de acuerdo, ¿hay algún problema con tu casa? |