







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 all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Tout est à propos de mon chaton, Pogo. |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | J'ai besoin d'un fond de volaille pour le risotto! |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm...oui, j'ai besoin de champignon, de bouillon, de céleri,... |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm... Je pense que c'est périmé. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Et la première c'est laver la vaiselle et nettoyer? |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | J'ai besoin de persil, mais ils ne semblent pas frais. |
| Oh sorry dear, my husband has some difficulties hearing... | Oh, désolé mon cher, mon mari à des difficultés pour entendre... |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Tu parles de ce gars avec la barbe ? |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hum... demain est un jour férié. |
| Sh*t! I can't believe it's already 10:30! | Merde ! Il est déjà 22:30 ! |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Tu dois appuyer sur le bouton et le tourner vers la droite. |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | Tu veux que je te fasse un thé ou un café? |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh oui, c'est notre soirées entre filles ce soir ? |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Mais je pense que ce n'est que pour les femmes plus âgées. |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | C'est quand même 5£ de plus que la plus grande chambre! |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Je suis moitié Britannique moitié Australienne. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Il y a un problème avec la batterie de ton téléphone? |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Je me sens un peu fatiguée et j'ai très faim. |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | C'est vrai, on devrait jamais oublier à quel point mes colocataires sont irresponsables. |