







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | Oh, pardon, je ne savais pas que je n'étais pas autorisé à commander ce que je veux ! |
| What does Diego do? | Et que fait Diégo? |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Bonjour, avez-vous une carte de fidélité Tesco monsieur ? |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Je suis moitié Britannique moitié Australienne. |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Tu sais, certaines personnes n'aiment pas poster leurs publicités sur Internet. |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, on dirait qu'il n'y a aucune agression entre eux. |
| Is your father sick? | Ton père est-il malade? |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Vraiment ? Je n'ai pas envie de ruiner ton plan, mais... |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La chambre est spacieuse et le lit a l'air confortable! |
| Do you live around here? | Vivez-vous prêt d'ici ? |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | Salut Cate ! Tu as besoin de quelque chose ? |
| It's about a web project. | C'est à propos d'un projet web. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Salut, pardonne-moi, je me suis un peu en retard. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | C'est vrai, je pense que les cocottes minutes sont dangeureuses aussi! |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | En plus, la cuisine et la salle de bain sont propres. |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | J'imagine que le temps ne s'écoule plus lorsque je ne suis pas là. |
| My laptop is in it. | Mon ordinateur est dedans. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | A l'étage, il y a Diégo et un couple Britannique à côté. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |