







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 | |
|---|---|
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Y a-t-il des frites ou quelque chose à grignotter ? |
| What kind of trick is that? | Quelle sorte de ruse est-ce ? |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Je déteste lorsque qu'ils volent autour de mes oreilles toute la nuit et lorsqu'ils me réveillent? |
| Do you live around here? | Vivez-vous prêt d'ici ? |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | J'ai cherché : est-ce que Pinnochio sait qu'il n'est pas un vrai garçon. |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Et nous avons à peser tout par nous même, etcetera. |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quel rendez-vous? Tu veux dire la maison à Angel? |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Oui, je suis là entrain d'attendre de bonnes nouvelles. |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | La recette est pour 6 personnes. |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | Ouais, je vous prendrais bien une bière, je suppose que tu veux du vin, Cate ? |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | Non, mais monter et descendre les escaliers tous les jours n'est pas bon pour lui. |
| Anyway, the flight situation is a bit complicated. | Bref, les conditions du vol sont un peu compliquées. |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Dans la recette, il est dit 600g. |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Je ne pense pas que nous allons la payer. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | C'est un peu une fête de bienvenue pour elle. |
| What’s their name? | Comment s'appelle-t-il ? |
| No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | Non, il n'a pas l'air propre, tu veux que je le nettoie? |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | C'est bien... J'espère que ce n'est pas une adolescente ! Quel âge a-t-elle ? |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | Regarde sur l'étagère, le prix indique 2.20 livres le kilo. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Je ne pense pas que tu veuilles vraiment que je reste ici! |