







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 | |
|---|---|
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Non molto, le mie lezioni iniziano alle 12:30. |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ehm… So che russo occasionalmente, russo tutti i giorni? |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, vuoi che ti prenda qualcosa da mangiare? |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Ok, eccoci qui, questa è Honeybrook Street. |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | E sembra avere circa 3 anni ora. |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | Vuoi che ti faccia una tazza di tè o caffè? |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Chi c**zo è, che ore sono? |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Sì, devo essere là alle 12:30. |
| Yes, I think she's great! | Sì, penso sia fantastica! |
| What’s their name? | Come si chiama? |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Non conosci la storia che ci sta dietro. |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Ce n'è uno alle 11:00 e quello dopo alle 11:20. |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Beh, una è 2800, ma le bollette non sono incluse… |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh no! Sicuri di non avere nulla disponibile? |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Non abbiamo ancora quel sistema a Brighton. |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | Decisamente costa molto, ma non è il solo problema. |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Non ho idea di cosa sia il riso arborio! |
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | Hmm… In realtà dobbiamo farlo bollire. |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Ma dobbiamo fare in fretta, non ho molto tempo. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Ad ogni modo, cos’altro c’è rimasto da fare adesso? |