







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Peu importe, que nous reste-t-il à faire désormais ? |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | C'est un peu une fête de bienvenue pour elle. |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Oui, tu veux dire, des tricycles? |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Le reste de la maison est ok, mais la cuisine est un peu salle. |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Ouais, je pense que la garde-robe est trop petite pour deux personnes. |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Non, je suis un agent immobilier. |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Espères-tu de moi que j'agrandisse la chambre en déplaçant les murs ? |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | Mes colocataires ne nettoient rien dans cette cuisine. |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Heu... Nous sommes mariés... Je veux dire, aujourd'hui c'est l'anniversaire de notre mariage ! |
| It's about a web project. | C'est à propos d'un projet web. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | Cette chambre est simple, j'en veux une double. |
| So I don't snore everyday... | Donc je n'ai pas ronflé tous les jours... |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Ça craint, tu as un rhume? |
| What else do we need? | On a besoin de quoi d'autre? |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear supporte tout à fait les chats, mais pas les chiens. |
| And the buses always arrive on time. | Et les bus arrivent toujours à l'heure. |
| He is a Chow Chow. | C'est un Chow Chow. |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | Oh, c'est pas mal d'argent! |