







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's why you have a headache now! | É por isso que lhe dói a cabeça agora! |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Estou um pouco cansada e com muita fome. |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Sim, me pergunto se compartilhamos o mesmo gosto por filmes! |
| Do you know how to use them? | Você sabe como as usar? |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oh, Deus, é a segunda coisa que mais odeio fazer na cozinha! |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh olá... eu esqueci de mencionar, é uma ocasião muito especial... |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | Esqueci? Não sei... O quê? |
| What do you want me to do with them? | O que você quer que eu faça com eles? |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Ou pior, por vezes eles fazem festas em casa! |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Espere lá, têm ambas 300 g e são da mesma marca. |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | Mas qual botão? Não indica quais são! |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Como você espera que sejam os professores de inglês? |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalmente as mulheres consultam a lista de vinhos durante meia hora antes de pedirem. |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Oi, você é a Cate? |
| What else do we need? | Do que precisamos mais? |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | A receita não está na internet, é de um livro do Jamie Oliver. |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Você é o único fumante da casa? |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Um apartamento não é uma boa ideia para o Bear, não tem jardim. |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Mas é o meu restaurante favorito... |
| No worries, I am not together with Mike. | Sem problema, eu não estou com o Mike. |