







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 | |
|---|---|
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Eh bien, pas vraiment! Je n'aime pas cuisiner tant que ça. |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hum... Peut-être 30 ans ? |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | J'espère donc qu'elle n'en est pas une qui soit problématique... |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Je veux dire, tu prépares de la nouriture Asiatique ou d'autres pays? |
| What’s their name? | Comment s'appelle-t-il ? |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Ça va? Tout va bien? |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | J'ai pris Bear et je suis sur le point de partir. |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, le teriyaki c'est japonais, nous sommes dans un restaurant Chinois. |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | C'est pour ça que je ne fais pas confiance aux gens silencieux... |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Es-tu le seul fumeur dans la maison ? |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Tu veux que je coupe les champignons pour toi? |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Peut-être qu'ils se séparent, je ne sais pas encore. |
| Thank you very much! | Merci beaucoup ! |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Vraiment ? Sade est l'un de mes groupes favoris aussi. |
| How long does it usually take? | Combien de temps cela prend-t-il ? |
| It's always the same. | C'est toujours pareil. |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Sortir Bear me prend généralement une heure. |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| What is it about? | De quoi ça parle ? |