







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 they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Les pèsent-ils ici où à la caisse ? |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | J'aimerais y aller, le jour où ils inventent la téléportation. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Il y a un problème avec la batterie de ton téléphone? |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Et après je vais le faire rôtir. |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Le rendez-vous n'est pas le problème en soi! |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh, allez chéri, je rigolais, tu le sais bien... |
| Do you think electric stoves are better? | Tu penses que les plaques électriques sont mieux? |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | Salut Cate ! Tu as besoin de quelque chose ? |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh vas te faire f*utre, je dois partir... |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, désolée! Tu n'aimes pas nettoyer les choses, je peux le faire. |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Je rigolais chéri, 200 degrés suffisent! |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Mais c'est mon restaurant favori... |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Ouais, elle est née en Australie, mais sa mère est japonaise. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ouais, je pense que tuer les moustiques est correct. |
| Good thanks, I'm fine, too. | Merci, je vais bien aussi. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Non, j'ai de mauvaises allergies. |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Bonjour, je m'appelle Mike, je suis le petit ami de Cate... |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Rejoignons-nous à la station de train ou voulez-vous que je vienne vous chercher de chez vous ? |