







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's £135 per week! | 135£ par semaine! |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Bonjour, avez-vous une carte de fidélité Tesco monsieur ? |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | On a besoin de changer d'avion à un moment donné. |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Je veux dire, vous semblez bien jeune pour être un professeur. |
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Ensuite, tous tes habits puent ! |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Elle est moitié japonaise, moitié australienne. |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Oui, Bear mange un chat et demi par jour pour son petit déjeuner. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Je l'appelle maintenant alors, tu as besoin de quelque chose? |
| My laptop is in it. | Mon ordinateur est dedans. |
| Why is that? | Et pourquoi? |
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | Désolé, la ligne est très mauvaise! |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Que penses-tu de lui Cate ? |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Pourquoi ne réponds-tu pas à ton téléphone ? |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | Les propriétaires sont un couple gay. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Je suis heureux de l'entendre. |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Je n'arrive pas à croire que tu n'aies toujours pas compris ! |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Je suis désolé de vous dire qu'aucun n'animal n'est autorisé dans la maison! |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Merci, chéri... De m'avoir aidé à être une menteuse ! |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Je crois que ça ira, il peut faire le tour pendant que Bear n'est pas là. |