







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 | |
|---|---|
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Leva apenas 15 ou 20 minutos. |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Quer que eu coloque o frango na panela primeiro? |
| That's where Diego works, too! | O Diego também trabalhar aí! |
| How old are you? | Quantos anos você tem? |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Sim, meu número é 0073***0282 |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Saímos esta noite por causa de Laura. |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Oi, você é a Cate? |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | E no piso térreo temos fácil acesso ao jardim. |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Só trabalho 3 horas hoje. |
| No worries, I am not together with Mike. | Sem problema, eu não estou com o Mike. |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Vou lhe pedir para levar o Bear a passear, para podermos tomar o café da manhã. |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Bem, talvez possamos encontrar um apartamento com 2 quartos. O que você acha? |
| Do we have a sieve? | Temos peneira? |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Minhas irmãs vivem perto, elas ajudam-na às vezes. |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Qual marcação? Você quer dizer a casa em Angel? |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Quero dizer, você não vive aqui com ninguém de sua família. |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Bem, é sobre um garoto, quero dizer, um robô. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Sim, é uma boa ideia! |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Eu não também gosto de ir a hospitais. |
| That's very interesting! | Isso é muito interessante! |