







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 | |
|---|---|
| How do you want me to chop the onions, big or small? | Come vuoi farmi sminuzzare le cipolle, grandi o piccole? |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Ok, quanto è lungo, lo sai? |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Ti sto solo stuzzicando mia cara, 200° va bene! |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | È l’idraulico, cara, a quanto pare è ostruito. |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Cosa ne pensi, caro, piace anche a te? |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | La notte scorsa siamo rimasti aperti fino a tardi, e sai qual è la sua scusa. |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Vuoi che chiami Diego allora? |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | A volte esco con le ragazze della scuola. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salve ragazzi, è possibile fare un po’ meno rumore? |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Deve passare 1 anno per superare la data di scadenza. |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Ho una riunione con alcune persone. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Mi piace qualche canzone di Jamiroquai, ma non tutte. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Chiamiamolo sesto senso! |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | Non è una cosa bella da fare. |
| Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | Hm, fanno circa £ 150 a settimana, più o meno lo stesso. |
| What's wrong with him? | Che cos'ha che non va? |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Non pensi sia troppo distante dalla stazione della metro? |
| Why is that rice so special? | Perché quel riso è tanto speciale? |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sono là, sotto il piumino. |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Già, mi domando se abbiamo lo stesso gusto nei film! |