







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 | |
|---|---|
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Il n'y a rien en dessous de 3000 à Angel ! |
| Are you serious? | Vous êtes sérieuse ? |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | Tu as raison, mais il n'est pas seulement là pour réparer les choses... |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Mais leur chambre fait presque le double de la nôtre! |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | C'est comme sur la pub. |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Bien sûr ! C'est mon pub préféré. |
| Is it really on the menu? | Est-ce vraiment sur le menu ? |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | J'espère que ce n'est pas la bonne adresse! Elle a l'air moche. |
| Why is that rice so special? | En quoi ce riz est-il si spécial? |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Je n'ai pas vraiment envie de la voir de nouveau! |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | Ouais, c'est déjà ouvert ici... |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Il est indiqué au mieux avant le 25 Février. |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Ils sont là-bas, sous la couette. |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ouais, et le marché est bon, Carmen Lock est-il en zone 2 ou 3 ? |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Heu... Je sais que je ronfle occasionnellement, je le fais tous les jours ? |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Merci, ouais, comme je l'ai dit, Carmen est en zone 2... |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Aimez-vous les voyages en train aussi ? |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | Est-ce Leicester Square ou Piccadilly Circus ? |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | C'est le dernier et malheureusement l'emballage est trouée. |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Si tu veux me demander de l'argent, je n'en ai pas non plus. |